A Somber Take On Climate Change
As thousands march, and the Marshall Islands suffer, world leaders convene in New York this week to discuss climate change. Robert Stavins (a former professor of mine) has a particularly dreary take:
It is true that, in theory, we can avoid the worst consequences of climate change with an intensive global effort over the next several decades. But given real-world economic and, in particular, political realities, that seems unlikely. . .
The reality is that 300 years of economic growth in the industrialized countries have been fueled by the combustion of fossil fuels — coal, petroleum and natural gas. We still depend on these. And the large emerging economies of China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and South Africa are rapidly putting in place new infrastructure that is also dependent on burning fossil fuels.
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Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Stuart Shapiro
Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.
30 responses to A Somber Take On Climate Change
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Wayout September 22nd, 2014 at 09:35
The last I heard the polar ice cap has been growing. We have got to do something to stop global cooling!
crc3 September 22nd, 2014 at 10:56
You heard wrong. A vast MAJORITY of climate scientists (including those on the Weather Channel and Accu-Weather) say climate change is real. Where are you getting your info? Some tea baggin’ right wing web site I bet…
R.J. Carter September 22nd, 2014 at 16:24
That all depends on which pole:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/09/23/antarctic-sea-ice-hit-35-year-record-high-saturday/
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:58
That is shelf ice while the glacial ice on the entire planet is shrinking…get to Glacier National Park before its a Glacier in name only
toobored54 September 24th, 2014 at 23:33
Thats the “bad ice” you’re referring to. It doesn’t count. Only melting ice counts, not growing ice.
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:53
He isn’t on the same planet
toobored54 September 25th, 2014 at 23:38
Well, it can’t seem to make up it’s mind…
“The earth is variable. The Arctic Region had warmed from 1966 to 2005, due to cyclic events in the Pacific Ocean and soot from Asia darkening the ice, but there has been no warming since 2005. Current temperatures are the same as in 1943. The small Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica is getting warmer, while the main Antarctic continent is actually cooling. Ice cap thicknesses in both Greenland and Antarctica are increasing. – See more at: http://www.friendsofscience.org/index.php?id=3#sthash.26EkA3Lh.JPaK6a3W.dpuf“
mea_mark September 26th, 2014 at 09:11
That site you link to is extremely disingenuous. It is full of cherry picked and misleading information. Basically it is a right-wing site promoting deception.
toobored54 September 28th, 2014 at 18:14
Well, wheres the left wing site promoting deception?
Wayout September 22nd, 2014 at 09:35
The last I heard the polar ice cap has been growing. We have got to do something to stop global cooling!
crc3 September 22nd, 2014 at 10:56
You heard wrong. A vast MAJORITY of climate scientists (including those on the Weather Channel and Accu-Weather) say climate change is real. Where are you getting your info? Some tea baggin’ right wing web site I bet…
R.J. Carter September 22nd, 2014 at 16:24
That all depends on which pole:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/09/23/antarctic-sea-ice-hit-35-year-record-high-saturday/
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:58
That is shelf ice while the glacial ice on the entire planet is shrinking…get to Glacier National Park before its a Glacier in name only
toobored54 September 24th, 2014 at 23:33
Thats the “bad ice” you’re referring to. It doesn’t count. Only melting ice counts, not growing ice.
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:53
He isn’t on the same planet
toobored54 September 25th, 2014 at 23:38
Well, it can’t seem to make up it’s mind…
“The earth is variable. The Arctic Region had warmed from 1966 to 2005, due to cyclic events in the Pacific Ocean and soot from Asia darkening the ice, but there has been no warming since 2005. Current temperatures are the same as in 1943. The small Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica is getting warmer, while the main Antarctic continent is actually cooling. Ice cap thicknesses in both Greenland and Antarctica are increasing. – See more at: http://www.friendsofscience.org/index.php?id=3#sthash.26EkA3Lh.JPaK6a3W.dpuf“
mea_mark September 26th, 2014 at 09:11
That site you link to is extremely disingenuous. It is full of cherry picked and misleading information. Basically it is a right-wing site promoting deception.
toobored54 September 28th, 2014 at 18:14
Well, wheres the left wing site promoting deception?
tiredoftea September 22nd, 2014 at 13:29
Well it is happy for me, I have first rights to develop beachfront property on Greenland!! Get in early, go to buygreenlandbeachesnow.com!
R.J. Carter September 22nd, 2014 at 16:28
It’s about time that Greenland was green, and Iceland was snowpacked. That’s been confusing the hell out of tourists for years!
tiredoftea September 22nd, 2014 at 18:03
Since the days of Leif Ericsson!
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:53
Property sales pitch
tiredoftea September 22nd, 2014 at 13:29
Well it is happy for me, I have first rights to develop beachfront property on Greenland!! Get in early, go to buygreenlandbeachesnow.com!
R.J. Carter September 22nd, 2014 at 16:28
It’s about time that Greenland was green, and Iceland was snowpacked. That’s been confusing the hell out of tourists for years!
tiredoftea September 22nd, 2014 at 18:03
Since the days of Leif Ericsson!
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:53
Property sales pitch
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:52
And the beat goes on….
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 15:52
And the beat goes on….
toobored54 September 24th, 2014 at 23:29
Wow, at this rate, Key West will be underwater by the year 7154.
toobored54 September 24th, 2014 at 23:29
Wow, at this rate, Key West will be underwater by the year 7154.