Climate change
A simple presentation of the mechanics of climate change is forthcoming.
As an introduction, we can look at a Paul Krugman article.
A few quotes should suffice to set the table (and tempt you to read the article):
“Every piece of valid evidence — long-term temperature averages that smooth out year-to-year fluctuations, Arctic sea ice volume, melting of glaciers, the ratio of record highs to record lows — points to a continuing, and quite possibly accelerating, rise in global temperatures.”
As for so-called climate research scandals:
“What you may not have heard, because it has received much less publicity, is that every one of these supposed scandals was eventually unmasked as a fraud concocted by opponents of climate action, then bought into by many in the news media. You don’t believe such things can happen? Think Shirley Sherrod.”
Regarding the spposed economic impact of climate legislation:
” All serious estimates suggest that we could phase in limits on greenhouse gas emissions with at most a small impact on the economy’s growth rate.”
To which I would add that a country which embarks on genuine efforts (not carbon trading or cap and trade, which would not limit CO2 emissions) to reduce CO2 emissions would modernize its infrastructure, make its industries more efficient and would in the long run end up economically ahead of the game.
The rest of the article concentrates on the corrosive effect of money exerts on the political process which is responsible for the legislative lack of effort to save ourselves from major climate change.
It is instructive to remember that climate on earth is a complex system of variables and feedback loops that operate today within a small range of temperatures and if temperature on earth move beyond that range, we may not survive.