Scientific reports, coming in a steady stream, are highlighting
the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions so as to avoid the
worst impacts of climate change. Already, hurricanes, coastal and
inland flooding, wildfires, heat waves and other extreme weather
events are causing severe economic damage and loss of life, and
their increasing severity has been attributed to climate change.
The decades to come promise to be even worse.
Engineers, economists and others have long been proposing ways
to cut back on emissions and thereby prevent an excessive rise in
global temperatures. However, some of these methods have faced
legal obstacles, and others have not enjoyed sufficient
incentives.
