Should we panic yet? This was the question asked and answered (in the negative) by a recent Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences editorial in response to new research indicating that “greenhouse gas emissions of the past have already loaded the Earth System sufficiently to bring about disastrous global warming” and therefore “the ultimate goal of climate protection policy, as stipulated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change appears to be delusional.” The editorialist, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Hans Schellnhuber, concluded, “We are still left with a fair chance to [avoid disastrous warming], yet the race between climate dynamics and climate policy will be a close one. . . . This requires an industrial revolution for sustainability, starting now” (Schellnhuber, 2008, p. 14239). So don’t panic, or shout. Please move quickly to the nearest exit (of our current “business as usual” scenario) and start communicating constructively about climate change! Indecision—the preferred federal policy in the United States thus far— is no longer an option… Download the Article Here.
No More Business as Usual: Addressing Climate Change through Constructive Engagement
