Sadly, we have left our children a mess to clean up and our only hope is that *they* save *us*.
3
What’s that series of thuds I hear? I know. It’s the thuds as the news about the imminent end of the world lands on the desks of news media editors and television news producers all over the U.S.
3
For decades now the science of climate modelling has predicted these effects and focused on the temperature change as a barometer of the trend. It's been a few degrees Centigrade all along. Seems like a mistake, in hindsight, to have focused on temperature instead of some other climate parameter, perhaps? For many, non-science types, a few degrees probably seems like a really small effect given that the daily cycle in temperature is much larger. Even a foot of sea level change seems small compared to the big waves that are normal. Maybe someone can offer a suggestion that captures the urgency in a more dramatic way?
3
The climate science that the NYT and others advance is no longer credible. We had fix the climate problem when Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth came out 12 years ago, nothing material has happened.
The IPCC models are so lousy at predicting climate are so bad, they are silly.
Mother nature and the sun cycles are driving our climate, not CO2, methane, etc.
The only thing that we should be thinking about is adapting to changing sea levels and other climate impacts.
2
Climate change lands with a thud on the Florida Pan Handle.
4
Mr T is a documented liar. He is lying to himself about climate change. They all are. They care only about themselves and profit now.
5
Evangelicals believe "Climate Scientists are either dupes or servants of the devil's cause." And let's not forget they have a literal view of the bible, thus, from Genesis, "earth was given to them to do as humans will."
And they will remain strident Trump supporters as long as he remains a 'science denier'. And this is exactly why Trump will continue to be all things to any takers and continue lie or exaggerate to get their votes.
6
We live on the only planet in the universe known to have life. And not just life, but a wild collection of wonderous and beautiful life forms of all kinds, unimaginably intricately interconnected.
This life is already being crowded off the planet by too many people taking too much of earth's resources. Now it is further threatened by the climate changing far faster than life can adapt to it. A study a couple of years ago showed that without action to meet the IPCC goals, climate change will put one sixth of all species at risk of extinction. If we act, we can still save some.
Think about it just for a minute. One sixth. Irreplaceable. Life. Why is there no a greater cry from those who know this? It can only be because our hearts are breaking.
8
In the 1930s the democracies were in denial, mostly, as to the threat posed by Nazi Germany. Years were wasted as alliances were not created and armed forces enhanced, and so world war came, and lasted six years. Immense treasure was given to war, and tens of millions of civilians and combatants died or were injured for life. Totalitarian dictatorships took over much of the wreckage, and soon after emerged the dangers, still with us, of general nuclear war. Today denial, coupled with still mostly quite soft measures, rule the roost in most of the democracies. Years, even decades, have been wasted in making changes necessary for survival. Always we are told the costs of ending carbon emissions are too great, the burdens of change beyond our strength. Even the most ordinary steps, such as having standing advisory bodies publicly reporting to government and citizens, are contested. Many citizens do not want to hear the truth of our present and future, and most politicians and activists, those attempting to persuade us to do at least a little carbon taxation, wrap up their proposals in feel good stories of painless successes. I think that the truth is that civilization today must accept that before us lies a road rough and narrow, a road we must travel, if our moral and physical safety is to have any promise.
6
It will be the future generations who feel the painful effects of global warning just as they will feel the pain of a government that refuses to address a diverse changing culture. This administration is destroying the governments ability to find working solutions for real problems.
4
By 2040, there will 8-9 Billion bipeds dumping greenhouse gases out of both ends of their alimentary canals. Carbon dioxide and methane.
Where is the alarm from the United Nations IPCC?
Instead, we get interminable escalating warnings of impending planet annihilation. Not just destruction of species or ecosystems, but the actual destruction of the planet. Poof. The Earth disappears from the Solar System.
When the climate handwringers convened in Paris, what did they agree to do to save the planet? First of all, to meet again in numerous exotic locales to prepare to issue another toothless agreement. Second of all, repeat #1 in an endless loop.
Because, third of all, the Paris Accord had no teeth. It was a sterile, bloated, feel-good piece of brain candy that required nothing of any signatory other than voluntary activities that demanded no objective measurement of results.
Climate change is a growth industry for its adherents. Cue up the Davos Crowd that was licking its chops after the Paris Accord signing. They are no more committed to activities that would mitigate its alleged catastrophic impact than most of the world population that is bloviating its own demise.
3
The photo caption accompanying this article is terrific: "President Trump on Monday in Orlando, Fla., where he spoke to a convention of police chiefs. He did not mention a United Nations report on the threat of climate change."
I'm sure the police chiefs were appreciative.
2
Don't look at me, I didn't vote for Jill Stein
5
Didn't Trump tell everyone climate change is 'fake news' and a Chinese hoax. Didn't he assure y'all Brett Kavanaugh would be terrific for the SCUMTUS and the 1%?
There it is.
4
I'm 73, no children or grandchildren, no niece or nephews. Sorry to miss. So will he. Why should he care?
Maybe he can be convinced that new technology will bring more money....
2
“The current administration doesn’t seem interested in it all,” he said, although he added that as a scientist, he takes the long view.
“One way or another,” he said, “the facts do win out.”
When Mara Lago is under water and hopefully Trump still owns it and hasn`t declared bankruptcy on it, he may decide he wants less military spending and of course more tax cuts for himself to pay for dikes.
4
....he goes down with the ship! Something positive out of this dire situation.
1
A bit of clarification on nuclear power:
Today’s reactors have in the neighborhood of a million times the energy density of solar and wind.
Nuclear opponents point to Fukushima and Chernobyl as reasons to shut down American plants, though our facilities, in contrast, are scrupulously operated and maintained, engineered to enacting standards and strictly regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and little, If any death or illness has resulted from the handful of nuclear accidents over the past 60 years of commercial nuclear operation.
Apart from the initial scares, only 63 known deaths have been recorded from the Chernobyl event, and area cancer rates nearly a generation later show no increase compared with Russia’s general population. The 1500 or so deaths in Fukushima were caused by the tsunami and mass panic during evacuation - partly in fear of radiation release from the plant where, in fact, it was, and remains safely contained.
Far more fatalities and long term health-related issues are related to fossil fuel production and power emissions, as well as climate damage, and lesser known statistics attribute significant, if comparatively more minor casualty-rates from renewables.
So-called ‘aging’ plants, like New York’s Indian Point facility, built in the late fifties, and which supplies up to 30% clean power to NYC can be retrofitted for much less than decommissioning costs and replacement by carbon-emitting Combined Cycle Gas Turbine plants, as planned.
9
The one thing so few people want to discuss is all our attempts at "sustainability" hit the brick wall of population growth. When my mother was born in 1930, there were only 2 billion people on the planet. That number has more than tripled in her 88 year lifetime.
That is unprecedented and unsustainable.
It is a bitter pill to swallow, but if you want to reduce the carbon footprint, have only one child and support those who choose to have none. The children that are born will have a better world for it.
12
Our Pearl Harbor moment was probably back in the 70’s, but can we yet ‘turn on a dime’ as we did then to mobilize resources to fight in World War II?
Sadly, DJT is no FDR, and if that’s not dispiriting enough, reining in our extravagant, and unsustainably profligate lifestyle will, in all likelihood, prove a far greater challenge than, when in 1941, the country’s Depression-era lean desperation and will to survive was harnessed to stave off the Axis of Evil.
It’s ironic that the one technological tool to mitigate and hopefully stem, if not reverse, advancing effects of climate change - nuclear power - is maligned and generally neglected due to public ignorance and misinformation. Faith in, as well as continuing to heavily invest in, solar and wind energy production infrastructure along with storage solutions will prove fruitless, on the whole, as these are intermittent and economically and environmentally expensive sources with low (ca. 6 -10%) energy density, and still dependent on carbon-emitting gas turbines, or worse, coal-fired plants to supplement Germany’s Energiewende substitution for its nuclear plants. The optimistic goal of 100% clean by 2050 will be a Pyrrhic victory by then when the coral reefs are gone, and the environment and ecology is thrown catastrophically out of balance.
Despite what we hear to the contrary, and which is unfortunately drummed into our heads by environmental groups, nuclear is statistically the safest form of clean energy there is.
2
@Valentines II...Nuclear is not clean. The Hanford mess still threatens the Columbia ecosystem. Waste is just left where it accumulates, because of NIMBY. Think of Yucca Mountain - the depository that isn't. Murmansk? Ugh. Nuclear fuel, like carbon based fuels, is a finite resource. Besides, no one is developing a thermo-coal bomb to blow up their neighbors.
2
This report comes at a politically sensitive time. But it will separate the clear headed from those who are so much preoccupied with belonging to a social group that they ignore the natural world entirely. Soon enough everyone will recognize that human activity driven climate change threatens everyone. A lot of people will simply refuse to accept the science even then. It’s likely that Trump will blame Clinton and Obama, while McConnell will blame the Democrats, and the religious right will blame Roe v Wade, just because they will not admit to their own misapprehensions. But all will have to deal with the problems.
3
Don't think for one second that President Trump doesn't "believe in" Climate Change--his company has applied for permits to build a seawall to protect his golf course in Scotland. According to POLITICO, who reviewed it, the application "explicitly cites global warming and its consequences — increased erosion due to rising sea levels and extreme weather this century — as a chief justification for building the structure."
The people who fund him (and most of Congress)--his true "base"--want to run the fossil fuel train as far as it will take them and squeeze out as much profit as they can, even if that train takes us all over a cliff. And they do it by: Ignoring the problem; sowing doubt in the science; belittling the scientists; burying the data; keeping our attention on other issues; and, if necessary, flat-out lying. They KNOW it is happening; they don't care. Rich people can buy food, guns and air conditioning.
8
@MRM
What rich people don't have is enough numbers to hold off the people bent on attacking their compounds where all the food and guns are stored.
The claim that a carbon tax/carbon credits will need to be extreme and expensive doesn't explain how that will change the temperature of the earth. The areas in the most trouble are those that have put large populations on the coast, in deserts, and on mountain slopes near fault lines. The US included (esp. CA, where water use is not sustainable). How will a tax bring back or sustain resources when the population doubles in a few years/decade? The money is what people are confused about - why? Do we pay the UN and they divvie it up to third world countries or, themselves? Or does it go to climate scientists? How do we get the animals and forests and prairies back? And when someone fails to emit as much CO2 as allowed, they still get to sell those carbon credits? And the promised cut that the US made, are the EU countries and Asia finally going to make a promise similar to the US percentage? The NYTimes likes to pretend that the US is a bad guy and that it is responsible for the health of the planet, but except for immigration (legal and illegal) our population is not escalating like Africa, the middle east, and China. No comment on the causative effects of over-population?
1
Seems that we should be reading a little on 'why' the Paris accord is a lousy deal for the US. Emissions (pollution) is only a part of the Earth's problem. They are not the root cause. Root cause is population growth out of control in areas of the world that cannot sustain that growth (i.e. destruction of rain forests, rivers, building on the coast, building on fault lines, dumping in oceans and rivers, etc.). But, putting that aside, the real issue with the accord is that when Obama committed the US to extreme cuts in emissions, he thought Europe, China, India, etc. might follow. As the UN designates China and India as third world countries, they not only don't have to commit to anything, they get money from the US through the UN when the US doesn't hit it's promise. Europe promised little, as a promise means paying the UN. Only the US promised to make big cuts, and the cuts are in the form of carbon exchanges, so the Paris accord was really not about reducing carbon outputs, it was about paying for unmet, promised cuts. The amount of CO2 is allowed to escalate for a couple of decades; China can emit anything they want and pay nothing. Even when they are supposed to start cutting emissions, there is no promised level in the accord. Trump is right on this one - a very bad deal for the US with NO CHANGE in direction for 'climate change.'
1
Mr. Trump and his administration simply don't care about ordinary people. They are all about making profits now, even at the expense of the future. This is why they are deregulating all sorts of things, from consumer protection to environmental protection.
Mr. Trump said nothing because he really doesn't care, as long as Mar-a-lago and his other properties make money.
Hurricane Michael probably won't be as devastating for Florida as Hurricane Florence was for North and South Carolina, but it will cause damage if it maintains strength. And it will drop more rain on the still devastated Carolinas.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump ignores it all. He visited NC and SC for one day and pretended to care, so now, from his perspective, he can move on.
There's an old saying: if someone tells you who they are, believe them. We are far past the point of knowing who Trump is.
2
As to background on global warming and the resultant climate change, we've been told since 1958 about what happens when large areas of the planet live a lifestyle based on carbon and methane emissions. We were again made aware of the dire consequences in the information coming from the first Earth Day, in 1970.
But, our entire "industrialized world" (the accomplishments of which we were and are still so proud) has been running along on a wealthy economy unprecedented in productivity and attendant growth, again largely based on carbon--and our comfortable and convenient lifestyles (for a great number of people) rely on its going on and on.
Fortunately we have two things going for ourselves that may help: 1) we have alternative energy options already available in solar and wind renewable energy production to replace coal-fired electrical generating plants, and 2) we have the models in place (and some already being driven) of electric vehicle transportation.
If this nation's military budget was turned over to a hypothetical "Carbon-Free Energy Commission," (or some such entity) and by November the Congress announced an emergency energy conversion to be put into place implementing the above, we might be able to make the dire changes needed to help mitigate further carbon/methane emissions and help cool our atmosphere so we can survive.
In the meantime, contact local, state, and federal representatives to tell them you know what's happening & to get with it NOW!
3
The sooner we implement the DeVos and religious right agendas the better. We have to dumb down the country. And pray.
It appears the only viable strategy. And swim lessons. Addressing reality and global problems is quite beyond America's grasp.
It's surprising, in a way, that it took us this long to destroy the planet.
1
Suggestion: Draw a line along the East and Gulf coasts showing the incursion of the ocean and gulf inland caused by a 2 degree Fahrenheit rise in temperature. Erect roadside signs along the line that say "For water up to here, vote Trump and Republican. Anyone want to start a GoFundMe for this?
3
When are people going to see that Trump is going to destroy this country, little by little? It makes me ill to watch him congratulate himself that he is the best president ever. God help us. I just do not understand how anyone can continue to support this maniac.
6
Climate change: deny it
Sexual assault: deny it
Russian interference: deny it
Tax evasion: deny it
Vaccine efficacy: deny it
Asbestos link to cancer: deny it
Tobacco link to cancer: deny it
Coal is dead: deny it
Objective reality: deny it
8
Perhaps Mr. Trump will believe in climate change when waves begin lapping in the lobby at Mar-a-Lago.
6
It could take quite a while to explain to Trump what "Celsius" means.
5
So long as governments are not doing their part, and until such time as we can effect change at national levels across the globe, we must all do our own parts, no matter how small, to help our planet. Added together, maybe it could help somewhat.
Consider flying abroad less often for leisure, and instead try to appreciate more of your own country, travelling by public transit rather than plane.
Fly only in instances where a bus, train or car would be too arduous or truly not make sense
All the cheap air carriers in Europe, and which can get you from one major European city to another in no time, and for little cost, are needless. Train travel is a great way to see more of the countries you pass through, and you get to meet lots of interesting people. (You can get a shared sleeping car for a much more reasonable price than you would in the US with Amtrak.) Why do so many people so mindlessly opt for a quick flight, even if very cheap, when we all know how much damage is caused by air travel?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/climate/airplane-pollution-global-war...
Instead of throwing perfectly good items in the garbage (landfill), offer them up on Craigslist (free) classifieds, or via Freecycle or Trashnothing.org.
Buy a reusable BPA-free water bottle. Enough with wasteful 'bottled water'!
Carry a nylon shopping bag with you at all times. Plastic bags are a scourge.
For gardeners, only use NATIVE Plants, which better support our local wildlife.
4
Of course Trump doesn't care about climate change; it wouldn't be about him. It would also cut into the defunct coal and other industries "profits". Sorry, but I haven't heard of business stopping or saving us from floods, fires or other disasters caused by climate change.
4
The top 10% of income earners are accounting for 50 % of the carbon increases that are driving climate change. Is this the reason Trump won't do anything to preserve our planet for our children and grandchildren?
2
What strikes me is that the Republicans aren't even curious. They simply have no interest in understanding what's going on. As if they don't have children and grandchildren who will have to live with the consequences of the choices that we're making. Or perhaps they don't care because only today matters. Sad.
4
It makes some sense that many people can't get their head around the idea of climate change and it's impacts. You can't see it with your own eyes. It requires belief. Yet the very people who typically don't believe happen to be religious. Need I go on?
I think I just figured it out. It's because of the climate's vastness (god's creation) that it seems like an insult to religious people that we mere mortals can create such change. And yet we mere mortals can fly to the moon, destroy coral reefs with all our suntan lotion, strip entire mountain sides looking for ore, create mountains of trash, slash mountain ranges of every tree. We actually do have awesome (not the good kind) power.
4
Florida is a mess. Its governor and legislature all republicans have ignored climate change to the point Rick Scott refused to have the words in any state publications. Sadly this man could be the next Senator from Florida adding his to contempt for science to the other republican climate deniers. This will all end badly as republicans don't seem to react until something smacks them in the face and even then it's probably Obama's fault.
3
"Dire Climate Warning Lands With a Thud on Trump’s Desk"?
Except Trump isn't at his desk, as he generally isn't, since he does almost no real presidential work. He's heading to Florida to spread lies via campaigning and get more time (at taxpayer expense) at his resort.
And Trump doesn't read anything, remember! He'll want the Spark notes, or better yet, Fox New's false summary of the issue!
4
Don’t expect any help from the right wing Christians. They still hang onto end of the world stories written down by Christians during the Roman Empire, when Christians were being persecuted. For them global warming means that Christ will be returning soon after. I expect that some of the may burn coal in their backyards just to help it get worse, sooner.
The point being that even though most of us are fascinated by science a lot of others take it all for granted and cannot see the significance of things about which they have had little interest. Getting them to cooperate as they must to have any real effects may not be so easy. Best to talk about it calmly and patiently to make it easier to communicate.
3
It is astonishing that this report apparently says nothing about global population growth? It seems the core cause of global warming is increased population living on more and more of the planet, cutting down more and more forests, demanding first world living standards, etc.
The key part of anthropogenic climate change is "anthropogenic," i.e., human activity. But more humans engaging in more human activity is apparently not a problem, so long as everyone just focuses on global warming? Don't worry about the 6th great extinction; sprawl; destruction of open space and entire ecosystems, etc. Just dynamite hundreds of mountain tops for wind towers and eliminate hundreds of thousands of acres for industrial solar panel "farms" and all is well?
Few years ago in NY Times, Dr. John Bongaarts, demographer with the Population Council, had this to say: "The global warming community is staying away from anything having to do with population and that's frustrating." Ya think?
4
It's not just growth, it's where it happens. A U.S. baby will use far more resources and contribute more to climate change that a poor Asian or African child.
3
Another hurricane heading for Florida. California on high alert for more wild fires. The hottest year on record, last year, the year before that, the year before that. Facts all. Still, crickets from our own federal government. Shame.
5
Even before all this talk of climate change and global warming,I always thought it wasn't right for someone to pollute someone else's air.If someone wants to drive a car with a tailpipe,spewing hazardous pollution,there should be a cost or penalty.Same for using a fireplace,etc.I don't care if there was no global warming or climate change.
2
Many Americans who plan carefully for the future--saving, exercising and eating right, don't seem to realize that if we don't take drastic steps to heal the health of our planet, there will not be a future awaiting us, or our children, at all. I will be 80 in 2040, our president and Senate leadership are already well into old age, and yet it is possible that we will see the end of the Earth in our own lifetime.
5
You won't find many climate change deniers in my coastal city, where we now regularly experience "sunny day" flooding from high tides alone.
If and when Democrats control Washington, they may have to abolish the filibuster in the Senate for bills that tackle climate change. We cannot let a minority of people who refuse to accept science harm our country for a hundred generations to come.
9
Trump supporters like my brother, who is a father of two small boys, will most likely be responding to this report with,
“Children aren't likely to ask "Why didn't you 'save' the planet" because the planet they grow up on will be their normal.”
“...raising my children in an age without coral reefs...I can tell you that from my perspective, the fact that coral reefs existed had no bearing on my life growing up.”
“I'm not a fan of Trump's ardent anti-climate change stance anymore than I'm a fan of the apocalypse narrative. I dislike them both.”
Climate change skeptics like my brother, still do understand how things like coral reefs dying or arctic ice melting could possibly have any impact on their children’s lives. Therefore, nothing to worry about! This was the first time my brother wanted to talk about solutions though, so that was a big step forward. He had been outright denying the science before this.
6
Has a tornado ever struck the capital?
To address the challenge before us will require the same determination & complete dedication by our nation's leadership and citizenry as was applied to prepare us to end WWII. Anything less will fail. Our life form and those we share this earth with disappear from the face of the planet.
Wonder what will arise from the ashes thousands/million of years from now?
1
Trump and the Republicans don't believe in climate change. And are taking actions to make it worse
If you don't vote them out - get ready to experience the backlash of Monster Storms on a regular basis. Along with polluted air, land, and water.
Vote for Democrats to save the planet!
4
He will never read the report or anything else of substance. Let's stop pretending now, shall we?
7
Does the mould on an orange ever worry that it’s running out of orange? No! It doesn’t, it just produces spores and dies.
Same with humans on earth. We devour the planet and hope our progeny can adapt in time to populate other planets. There is no turning back.
The only difference is we think we can send spaceships in time to save us while it’s obviously not going to work.
We Will all die but maybe a microbe will stick to a rock that will float through space and infect another planet. Then we can sleep soundly knowing we did all we could be bothered to do.
Yay! Go little microbe! Go!
3
What a sad statement—dems need to siege power from the festering deplorable Timor on our country.
2
Ivanka,
You may think it's either stick with daddy or try to help all of humanity, but that's not true. If you do not try AND succeed in changing your father into a proper populist and environmentalist, he will be even more hated through the ages as our last, lost chance. The uneducated, the working class, the poor, they will suffer first. Also, you and yours will no longer be able to vacay in Mar a Logo, as it will be submerged. Are you Marie Antoinette, or an actual human being?
8
That report sure did land like a thud on Trump's desk. I apologize for the spelling error, but this is the Times. Maybe he can call in one of his lackeys to remove the offensive object from his desk. The only thing we can be certain about is that Trump will never read that report.
3
He's 72...and functionally illiterate...so, he cares? Now, if sea water were covering the first tee...
8
POTUS is bored with the topic.
After all he knows it all anyway as he has previously summarised Man Made Climate Change (MMCC) as: Any and all weather events are used by the GLOBAL WARMING HOAXSTERS to justify higher taxes to save our planet! They don't believe it $$$$!
Perhaps all hurricanes should be named Trumpx, e.g; Trump1 and all subsequent hurricanes Trump2, Trump3 as they sucessively appear in each season to honour Trump’s “knowledge” of Man Made Climate Change MMCC ?
Contrast Trumps non-action now, with the successful action taken by nations a few years back, to remove CFCs and so fix the ozone hole that threatened to fry us.
2
It's now official. The former "Leader of the Free World" has VOLUNTARILY given up its leadership, in a craven quest to fatten the pockets of those who care nothing about reality and others, and only about amassing more money and wealth for themselves. To hell with the rest of the world!
Maybe those old Russian commies had a point, when Lenin said that capitalists would sell us the rope we'll use to hang them. Except unfortunately, the entire planet and life on it are the ones destined for the noose.
4
Dear Trump supporters:
Mr. Trump does not give a damn about your children and grandchildren. Maybe you should.
12
I am concerned about a general lack of awareness of the degree to which climate action actually is occurring, not just here, but internationally. While currently insufficient to meet the enormity of the problem, significant work is taking place on grand scales and small.
What has failed in the face of science-averse leadership in the United States, is sustained promotion of that work to foster the support of an informed public. The IPCC report, global conferences, initiatives, programs, and projects - both international and domestic - need vastly greater visibility, not just to those inclined to click into science or environmental sections of a given medium, but to every reader or listener of that medium.
Meetings of the Parties of the Paris Agreement have taken place in Marrakech (2016) and Bonn (2017). The next is due to take place this December in Katowice, Poland. For state and non-state actors, these are opportunities to report out, coordinate activity, and identify both opportunities and challenges in conducting concerted action and research.
For the press and the public, the resulting reports are opportunities to educate ourselves on the world's progress, hurdles, and potential to meet our shared challenge.
The momentum that was generated as nations came together from 2015 to 2016, and that was still visible at Marrakesh, can be reignited. We just have to treat climate as at least as worthy of flashy headlines as tabloid-grade politics.
9
It has been known since the 1890s that increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, from burning fossil fuels, increases global temperature. Anyone who denies that wasn't paying attention in high school chemistry.
9
The president will only react to global warming when it affects his self-interest. It might be that at his age he believes he won't be alive in future to face the consequences. Everything he says and believes is calculated to enhance his goals. His goals at present don't include addressing or acknowledging the existence of global warming.
7
Until there's a viable alternative to petroleum, people are going to do whatever it takes to live, thrive, and survive.
Post-petroleum economy, how will we re-sequester all that carbon? I suppose we could grow forests, chop them down, and bury them underground; over and over, until all the oil is put back into the Earth.
Peat bogs do a good job of sequestering carbon, and maybe in the meantime there's a way to manipulate the ionosphere to modify Earth's weather in the short term.
1
Nothing can be done so nothing should be done. Human nature is what it is. There is no substitute for the carbon economy. Any attempt to limit fossil fuel use in any real way would have to come from a dictator and would result in civil war, economic depression, joblessness and hunger. The cure would be worse than the disease. Sadly we will just have to see how it plays out and hope its not as bad as some predict. Banning plastic straws wont solve this dilemma.
3
@Joshua Lee: Interesting ideas you've posited here--but, by NOT ridding ourselves of a carbon economy we would no doubt bring about a dictator, civil war, economic depression, joblessness and hunger. As it stands now, we have no time left to "see how it plays out"--that approach is what got us into this position to begin with.
Why would Trump care about this? It won't hurt him. The next Democratic President can clean up the mess.
9
Talk to us concerning that in about 50 years.
1
Chicken Little the sky is falling. While it is a serious issue unless and until developing countries actually stop increasing their emissions nothing positive will happen. China in particular needs to reduce their emissions not increase them. We are already doing our part, and we will through different organizations will continue to do our part. Our part won't include paying "bribes" to anyone, we don't want to do that and we don't have money for that either.
1
This isn't about what everybody else needs to do while we daudle....This is about what are WE going to do now - we as a rich nation, who have contributed the most to the coming catastrophe, have a responsibility to lead the way in fixing this.
3
@KaneSugar
The US is meeting the Paris accord targets. Fracking has resulted in nat gas replacing coal as the primary source of electrical power generation. Off shore wind is cost competitive and will soon displace more coal
No matter who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, these trends will continue.
Republicans are choosing industry over science and profits over our welfare. Unfortunately too many have succumbed to the repeated harping that climate change isn't real despite every day evidence to the contrary. How many severe floods, droughts and fires along with the heat do we have to experience to make it real? It's time to demand change for ours and children's futures. Let's hope it isn't already too late.
6
After reading yesterday's NYT article on UN climate report, my first thought was "this administration won't even read it", & I was right. Trump & Co do not care. Shocking as these people have children & grandchildren -- and they still don't care.
For trump & his corporate (& Russian) sponsors, everything is about short term gains -- personal, monetary gains with no regard for anyone else or the planet we all inhabit. What good is an extra billion (or 2) dollars when there's no breathable air, drinkable water and agriculture is dead?
Greed is killing Earth and all creatures who live on it.
13
It's not about climate. It's about trump. All we have to do is wait until the seas rise over one of his golf courses, then we will see action.
Unhappily, by then it will be too late - perhaps trump's "greatest" legacy.
3
He would have already sold his seaside golf courses to suckers in MAGA caps.
5
The words from the article: “Not today,” said Bill Shine, the White House communications director. “It’s a Kavanaugh night.”
Following the ceremony, Lindsay E. Walters, a deputy press secretary, said, “The United States is leading the world in providing affordable, abundant and secure energy to our citizens, while protecting the environment and reducing emissions through job-creating innovation.” The celebrety event is more important than the changing climate. "Job-creating inovation is going to reduce climate change." This is smoke and mirrors. The job cration wouild not be in climate science or any realted field because they are reducing the funds for climate research. When the administration says climate change is a hoax, they do not believe that climate change will international disruption and terrorism, how can they say job creation will solve th problem? The lack of water will cause many problems which some will use violence to obtain. The greatest problem is those who refuse to believe their actions, no matter how small, are coontributing to climate change. When milions believe they are not the problem the in action of the one is multiplied by the millions, hence an effect.
1
Of course U.N. climate fear-mongering landed with a thud. They had predicted 5-6 major hurricane landfalls per year in the United States, but then couldn't explain how we didn't have a single one in a decade. They predicted the Himalayan Glaciers would be gone by 2012, but now say they made a math error.
The U.N. has been wrong so many times on so many issues that it is hard to get excited when they make yet another dire prediction.
But who knows? Someday they may get it right.
2
Beyond pointing out that the bit about a ten-year hiatus is nonsense, lemme suggest that you be sure and get the good news to Houston, big chunks of Florida, the Carolinas, and the Bronx.
1
"Dire Climate Warning Lands With a Thud on Trump's Desk" A thud implies a heavy object, i.e., a document with many pages. So... he won't read it.
3
Trump's campaign took millions from Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Industry and in return, Trump has taken suggestions from Murray to bolster the coal industry, including withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and lowering EPA standards for coal fired plants. Trump is a shameless, reckless, destructive, thug, who is abusing his power... daily.
8
oops! Can't blame Mr Obama for this. I appreciate we will be experiencing drastic effects soon. This doesn't allow people to ignore it, thinking they won't be around so big deal. Get out of your car. Bicycle, walk, take the bus, wear a Fitbit or pedometer and walk 10,000 steps per day. If you must drive, bundle your trips. Realize you presently treat your car as an appendage. It isn't. It is a carbon spewing global warming device, and, consequently, so are you.
2
Stop it. Think. The vast majority of people and human activities depend upon automobiles and trucks and coal fired electricity. Buses and trains cannot replace autos and trucks in ten years. Bicycles as replacements for autos is simply inane. It won’t work. To achieve the results that we want in the time that we have means using technologies that we have to reduce the carbon gas emissions. Gas and electricity must replace coal and petroleum. Gas turbine and electric motors must replace internal combustion engines. Wind, solar, hydro, and gas must replace coal fire power plants.
1
as long as the con man and his children stay out of jail the con man is happy.
5
All around the planet, climate change disruption brings heartbreak and deaths.
Yet, this imbecile, whom "We The People" did not elect, wallows in his pathologically criminal "See no climate change, Hear no climate change, Speak no climate change" stupidity, that will kill countless people while leaving even more, homeless.
https://orbmedia.org/stories/under-water/text
4
Climate change is inevitable, to think that we are the cause, or can manipulate it, is the height of both hubris and folly.
The best we can do is not help it along.
I love in miami. There are sea shells in my gardens.
It was once underwater and it will be again.
Only so many things one can worry about in a day.
28
@There, can you mention by name, or somehow understand the 4 most basic laws of Thermodynamics? If you can't do that, then why do you have an opinion about climate change?
28
@There
I grew up in El Paso, TX and as a child I could find sea shell fossils there as well - 3500 feet above sea level! I am not so old that I recall “scientists” warning of an impending massive ice age that would destroy Mother Earth in 20 years! Check the cover of Time Magazine.
If the scientist and climate change alarmists would take a measured approach to the issue rather than using their dire warnings as a vehicle to tax and subjugate, perhaps they’d be more successful in enlisting support.
1
@There
Climate change is inevitable, the rate climate changes is up to us.
2
The root cause of all global environmental problems, including any effect of humans on the climate of the planet, is overpopulation. While this problem is relatively easy to solve, humans have chosen quantity over quality, and there is no magical solution to change the consequences of their decision, which are already upon us.
5
Overpopulation will solve itself when crop failures and fires bring more famine around the world.
Trump will have his groceries flown in.
5
@Nancy Rathke And even citizens in rich countries may perish when famine and plague lead to war.
1
Imagine you are a lifelong smoker who has been given a diagnosis of very bad (but possibly not terminal) lung cancer. You visit 1,000 doctors. 997 of them tell you that yes, you do indeed have lung cancer and need to quit smoking immediately and make drastic lifestyle changes. 2 of the 3 other doctors say, "Well, we can't say for sure if lifelong smoking caused your lung cancer, so don't change anything." And the 1 remaining doctor says, "No, smoking didn't cause anything at all; you're completely fine."
President Trump and his allies are people that believe those 3 doctors. They'll just ignore the overwhelming scientific consensus and all the symptoms of our sick planet until it's too late. Conservatives, by their very name, don't like change - that is, unless it's profitable. And those profits are always, always in the short term. Whether it's climate change, tax and banking reform, ensuring the veracity of our election system, or forcing through their judicial nominees (Garland, Kavanaugh), the Republican Party simply doesn't care about long term damage to our society and our world as long as they and their donors get what they want.
217
@jrinsc - Correction: in my example, I should have said "100 doctors" (rather than 1,000) as at least 97% (rather than 99.7%) of climate scientists agree that human activity is causing climate change. As time and science progress, though, that remaining 3% is getting smaller.
2
@jrinsc You forgot to mention that the three odd doctors also work for tobacco companies.
4
@jrinsc This is all true, just add the disturbing fact that it will not only be you but your children and grandchildren as well that will suffer. Perhaps you may say it's not worth the fight, but surely anyone with a shard of compassion for future generations will say "It's a fight worth fighting." Thanks for your thoughtful analysis.
2
Dear America,
I have great confidence that the US will eventually rise to this historic occasion, and will mobilize to fight this threat.
But it will happen later in the game, after the obvious hits even to those in the throws of living fact-free under the Trump anomaly.
As Churchill once said, "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else."
255
@William J. Massicotte Ph.D. Regretfully, we have passed the proverbial tipping point.
With every one degree increase in global temperature, there will be a corresponding increase of between 10 and 20 percent in the agrarian devouring insect population.
Given a human projected populous of 11 billion souls by 2100, there will be a horrible consequence for ignoring the UN report.
Churchill allowed a city to be leveled to gain the requisite anonymity for intelligence operations. Which did in fact contribute to winning the war, and saving lives.
In our case, we have no intelligence at the helm, and the signal of silence on this sword of Damocles is our truest indicator that Americans, and I mean most Americans, are in need of an awakening before the coming storm.
3
It’s way too late now. Dealing with it even later is not even remotely feasible. This is not a light switch, you do not simply turn off the effects. Think of it more like a huge ocean liner at full speed, stopping it takes a great deal of time. And again, consensus is that we are decades too late In being able to change the outcomes now.
3
@Theodore Frimet
Right. I am by no means a pollyanna about this.
I do expect some one terrible event will occur on US soil, say, a category 5++ hurricane hitting NYC or LA before the mobilization occurs.
But make no mistake about it, the mobilization will dwarf that which occurred 1/3 way through WWII. But it neither be pretty nor without loss of life.
If the concerned voices of climate scientists had been heeded when the issue of global warming first surfaced, we would not now find ourselves confronted with a do-or-die situation. In those days, the United States was the acknowledged leader of the free world and action on our part could have led to the change necessary to first slow and then reverse this deterioration. Alas, for our inaction and our stupidity and the stupidity of our leaders.
Our country is now in the hands of a foolish and malevolent man who denies and derides the science that has driven these facts and findings. There will be no help from Mr. Trump or from the cowardly and compliant Republicans who are willing to sacrifice the long-term viability of our planetary ecosystem for the short-term 'benefits' of staying in political power. They are disgraceful and history (if there is such) will regard them as criminal. If we wish to redress this deplorable state of affairs, we will need to vote the GOP out of office from now on. Our lives depend on it.
316
@Jimbo. At the beginning of the current interglacial period NYC was under a two kilometer high glacier
4
@Grabski
What does that have to do with the extinction of our species and death of our planet?
1
@Jimbo No amount of scientific heeding would produce the intended result. Within climatology lay the complexity of variables that continue to evade our brightest and best.
The introduction of just one more hidden variable would upset the apple cart of science, and yield altered reports.
In the case of our leadership, which appears on the surface to be ignorant, a policy of ignoring conflict is a fifth grade way of dealing with the greater national and global issues. And is expedient given the lack of education, and knowledge that is being expressed at the highest level of our government.
I agree with your, that there appear to be benefits to those making and enforcing policy. And on the face of it, any appearance of expedience to reap rewards are unethical, immoral and become an issue for immediate redress, by and for the American people.
I was thinking about former President Jimmy Carter this morning and his principled stance to the oil crisis in 1979, reduce exports and emphasize energy efficiency. What would our lives be like if we had responded zealously to his call to action then, almost 30 years ago?
Instead, we were told Carter had delivered a "malaise" speech, and we got Ronald Reagan, the first active climate change denier as the so-called leader of the free world. He put his imprimatur on a do-nothing policy that has lead us to Trump's civilization killing policies.
If we have any hope of facing this crisis, we have to vote Democratic on November 6th and not give that new congress a pass but push it to immediate action, especially on transitioning public transportation to electric vehicles.
19
@dmdaisy: Just a gentle correction here: You're absolutely right about President Carter being responsive to "environmental issues" as it was called in those days, but, surprise, it was more than 40 years ago--time does move swiftly as we're finding out today when it comes to "climate change."
1
Over and over again we see large numbers of people who's belief system and ego overrides their ability to read, analyze, absorb scientific information. Or they turn the scientific into the political. Its not just that, its the lack of open-mindedness or curiosity to say, "I don't understand all of this, could someone please explain it to me?". Its tragic, and it will be the major contributor to our downfall. This deficit in this percentage of the people. Is it the majority? I guess it just feels more comfortable to be able to "deny". It could be the ultimately fatal quality in human beings in this intersection of time, greed, materialism, technology, tribalism, population, the planet's capacity, our inability to work together for the common good ...
3
Truly, this is the only story that matters. It should be the single issue that all Americans come together on and insist that our government take action. Without a planet to live on, nothing else matters.
9
For Trump followers, the Clinton emails are all that matters. Or abortion. Or athletes to take the knee.
They are so easily deluded.
3
Write it down today, that is a list of every current American elected official, including the president, who denies the existence of the global warming problem today, and then let them know that every one of them should have all of their personal assets, along with the assets of their immediate family members, encumbered in the near future when the US finally agrees that we, the people on this planet, are the cause of this warming, a problem that could have been minimized if only we had made some changes. Maybe, once those elected officials find that they are going to infringe on even their children's assets they might wake up and change their minds. But who knows? Trump does not even know where oil and then gas come from.
2
Eight thousand years ago the area where I live was covered with a mile of glacial ice. That ice melted and oceans rose over 300 feet. Of course humans have a major impact now on global warming. Climate change is not considered today to have a natural cause. So what did the early bands of humans do wrong to cause the glaciers to melt?
1
@Robert Winchester Why don't you spend about 5 minutes gathering basic information on the science behind climate change?
3
Well you have to use arithmetic to understand how the 19th century lab experiment proved that carbon dioxide retains heat applies, but it does.
2
It is difficult to believe that Mr. Trump is oblivious to all of this. More likely, he does not care. If he can make huge profits through petroleum products and pass on the fortune that his father handed to him (and that he, himself, has lost due to unwise investments, with losses diminished by the absence of paying less taxes than the law requires), then he does not care if the planet dies.
What a wonderful role model for the youth of the world...
5
If a report is big enough to make a thud when it lands, it's way too big for Trump to read. One page with pictures is the absolute maximum.
My wish is that a future President Warren funds 1000 wind generators directly off the coast from Mar-A-Lago. All of them painted day-glow orange.
9
@me - Among Republicans, it is the most educated that are the biggest climate deniers. There is an upshot article on this point, "The More Education Republicans Have, the Less They Tend to Believe in Climate Change".
We tend to think that Republicans are malevolent - they are, but that's another matter - simply denying the truth, thinking they know better, but like everything else, people are able to lie to themselves to their own detriment. In some cases, the more educated they are, the better they can lie, to themselves...
4
This comment may explain a great deal:
"When Mara Largo sinks beneath the waves, The Donald will finally say that climate change is real."
The rate of sea level rise is much higher along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts than it is on the Pacific coast. Here in SF, for example, sea level has risen 1 inch so far this century (over 1/6 done now), despite century-rise predictions ranging from 36" to 96", and has risen much less than that in Los Angeles and just across the Bay Bridge in Alameda. Sea level is actually falling in some coastal areas of Oregon and is falling at a fairly rapid rate along most of the Alaska coast. The rate of rise (or fall) hasn't changed in the past several decades.
But, again, it appears to be much different back East.
Though I didn't notice a difference when I last visited Miami about 10 years ago, I gather from comments like the one quoted above that sea level is rising faster back there, and that people who own beachfront property are (and Trump should be) very worried even though beachfront property prices continue to skyrocket.
2
Tie this article to Paul Krugman's stage commentary today and one will see how slender the thread of optimism is today. Sad, indeed.
3
Bill Shine said, "not tonight, it's a Kavaugh night." What does that mean they're having a kegger and molesting teenage girls?
It's no surprise that Trump hasn't read it, won't read it. being functionally illiterate, he wouldn't comprehend it if he could read it.
14
Trump will ignore climate change until his fossil fuel oligarchs lock in a way to profit from unstable climates and warming. Oh, it might help when salt water from the Atlantic surges onto and submerges Mar-a-Lago and his other seaside holdings.
2
An American President has the ability to lead the world to a great degree. He can lead in improving the world with foresight and reason. Or he can lead in ignorance & snotty comments, in denial of whatever is inconvenient to his major supporters, and in saying things that will get his fans to cheer.
Unfortunately, this president has chosen the low road.
If there was actually some science on the non-warming side, there could be meaningful debate. But the only things that come up are industry-funded so-called research, in which the conclusion is decided before the "research" even starts.
Bolsonaro probably wouldn't consider withdrawing if Trump hadn't shown the way. Bolton probably wouldn't deny the connection to extremism but that Trump denies it. Even Trump's fans probably wouldn't deny global warming but for Trump and his coal industry puppeteers telling them it's a hoax and trash-talking the scientific process.
We have yet to see if Droegemeier will make any difference. But with a President who demands "personal loyalty" and fires anyone who's inconvenient, it seems unlikely.
And when these predictions come true in the next couple decades - Trump, GOP and their denialist supporters will find some way to blame Obama or Hillary or the UN.
4
This IPCC report is overhyped. The fact is that the damages from climate change are not catastrophic.
But don't take my word for it. Read the IPCC report, particularly, the (very small) section of it that mentions economic damages. Here, on page 155:
http://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_chapter3.pdf
Only 1 page in the entire report about the economic cost of the damages. This page cites an important study by Hsiang et al, about the economic damages in the U.S. from climate change, here:
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6345/1362
The damages are estimated at 1.2% of U.S. GDP lost per year for every 1 degree Celsius of warming. What are these damages? Here's a list, in order of magnitude:
1. Increase in mortality
2. Reduction in hours worked, especially for outside workers
3. Increase in energy use (e.g. air conditioning)
4. Reduction in crop yield
5. Increase in crime
6. Coastal storm damage
None of this is great, but it is not the end of the world either. I wish news sources as esteemed as the NYT would report the facts more clearly.
1
The fossil fuels owners and Trump know that the burning of fossil fuels contribute to Climate Change. To order to minimize the imprint of their industry will cost them money. They don't want to do that so they simply deny the scientific facts. Trump's base will believe anything that he says and their cheers count. He will never admit the truth but the children and the grandchildren of those responsible along with everyone else will suffer for the arrogance of this group.
5
All these trump supporters who have absolutely no reason to deny climate change, the people who have no knowledge of such things, base their beliefs upon the words coming out of the mouth of their president. It will be an even sadder day for them, while we all live in a country that has walled itself off from the rest of the world (both figuratively and literally), and the predictions come to be and the earth is falling apart around us, when wildfires are burning out of control, most of the coastal areas are gone, people are dead, people are killing for food and water, and the trumpsters say what happened. The apocalypse will come, it is just a matter of when, and I’m not talking biblical, but I’m sure it will resemble that. But before that happens, our economy will collapse like never before because of trump. The path he has put the country on is for the immediate gratification that everyone wants, the policies changes for the wealthy, rollback of regulations, and a debt running rampant will but this country in a state never before seen. That isn’t a guess on my part, but a reality that is coming. So denying that truth of climate change might not really matter much because God only knows just how far our once great country will fall before it ever happens. And when the waters rise, fires burn, food is running out, and water is scarce just remember these things you have denied today. And when it happens, remember, you don’t deserve government handouts.
3
Like all Florida politicians, Trump must protect the value of his investment in Mar-A-Lago so he is never going to admit that climate change is real because immediately his property will become worthless.
He will die eventually. Then maybe the public can regain control and apply common sense.
2
@Cynthia Adams
Can't happen soon enough! We can all celebrate when he's gone. Break out the champagne!
1
Climate change is real and historically high levels of C02 are contributing to it. We can’t control the natural heating and cooling cycle of our planet, but we can control how many green house gasses we contribute to it. Open your eyes people! Between melting ice caps, mega hurricanes, widespread droughts, and record breaking heat year after year the signs of climate change are everywhere! We have to work together. Stop the partisan bickering because the world needs us.
4
Of course it landed with a thud. Science probably wasn’t part of the curriculum at Trump University.
4
It seems like all Trump cares about is working a con that enriches him, his family and some cronies. Trump’s negligence on the climate is beyond bizarre and is devastating to the US and beyond.
3
Florida needs to be underwater as a poetic justice scenario . That is what it may take to stop the Republican supporters from voting for that group for allowing Trump to do this and for supporting the other GOP politicians. How many warnings do these small brained GOP supporters need to see the apocalypse is near and it will be on them.
3
Trump’s vision is limited to the nose on his face.
2
It is amazing the number of people who deny climate change.
Science is over turned.
What you see is denied.
Must be the same ones that voted for Trump.
I suppose they think all the plastic in the sea is just a Democratic left wing fiction as well.
We polluted our air so much with coal you couldn't see for the fog years ago.
The clean air act changed that.
Now Trump has pulled the teeth of the EPA so you can pollute it all over again.
Grow up and learn to open your minds.
4
@Richard Bradley I don't deny that the climate is changing. I just don't agree that left-wing policies will help arrest climate change. In fact, I think that most of the policies are a Trojan Horse to allow governments to seize the means of production and redistribute wealth. It is a socialist takeover by bureaucracy, rather than revolution.
1
He doesn’t care. It won’t affect him, and I guess he doesn’t care much about his grandchildren.
4
Real leadership is facing the serious threats and addressing them to the best of your ability. As they say in New England: Do your job, Mr President. Protect the country from the real threat of global warming. The rest is all peanuts.
3
And Trump's answer I'm sure will include "clean coal". His reckless disregard for the planet is national disgrace. November come quick.
3
With Hurricane Michael, now a Category 2 storm, bearing down on Florida, the Climate Denier-in-Chief is heading there to support his fellow denier, Rick Scott, who refused to allow the words "climate change" and "global warming" to appear in any document while he was (and still is) governor. I guess this is just another "hoax. Hopefully, Floridians already angry about the red tide resulting from chemical pollution permitted by the Scott administration will vote with a bigger "thud" for incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson who's never been in denial since his days as an astronaut that we are stewards of our planet.
4
For all of those minimizing the effects, dangers and threat of climate change, you don’t suppose Trump is capable of doing to our country and planet what he did to Trump Shuttle, the Plaza Hotel, Trump University, and the Taj Majal Casino, to name just a few; that is, through incompetence, selfishness and stupidity, drive them all into the ground, bankruptcy and extinction?
6
Trump knows he will be dead by 2040. So why does climate change matter?
3
President Trump is clearly pathological. To continuously rant and rave about his idiocy and inaction is, at best a waste of time and at worse a sign of neurosis. It's madness to expect a mad person to act logically at any time.
The anti-leaders in Congress and the Senate - both dems and reps alike - are sycophantic and absolutely near-sighted, if not actually blind. Don't expect anything from them.
Odds are that it's too late to do anything. But if people really care about trying to save the human species, nothing short of a mass work stoppage for days & weeks on end are needed to force the government to wake up. Shut down industry. Shut down airports and highways. Shut down everything but hospitals. Shut it all down, NOW. It's our only hope - if any actually remains. And not just in DC - everywhere.
I agree with you - it's not going to happen. See you either in the food lines or in the mass grave. Until then ( 2022?) get down on your knees in front of every child and teenager you come across, and beg for forgiveness.
4
And the hurricanes just keep on commin.
2
If you are a malignant narcissist like trump what happens to planet earth after you're gone is of no consequence.
4
Denying science does not make you conservative.
It does make you ignorant.
6
Trump’s son infamously said, “The only color my father cares about is green, as if this were a good thing, something to brag about, like shooting someone on 5th Avenue with impunity, or sexually assaulting women because “you’re a star”. For the uninitiated in the ways of the irony-deficient, clueless, projecting Trumps, junior was referencing money, not the environment—as if placing the bottom line above any and all other considerations were a virtue worthy of boasting.
To fully grasp the twisted, perverse and depraved nature of the Trumps and their forelock tugging fellow travelers one could do worse than to note a recent comment by Colin Powell, who earlier had called Agent Orange a “national disgrace” and an “international pariah”. He said that Trump forever confounds Powell’s favorite constitutional phrase “we, the people” with “me, the president,” which would explain why he could not care less about the rest of us, much less our dying country and planet, both hurtling hell-bent to extinction.
6
This is truely becoming insane. We are sleep walking over the cliff folks. If major steps are not taken immediately (TODAY) we may have had our last real warning. We cannot just sit idly by and let a moron like Trump lead the world into a total disaster. The climate is getting worse as I write this. Hurricanes are worse; flooding is worse, massive wild fires are worse. And still that idiot wants to fire up obsolete coal mines just to win some votes?! How stupid can you get?! There is no point hitting the alarm bell. That time has already past. The choice is becoming clearer each day. Change your ways...OR DIE.
10
When Mar-A-Lago is underwater,
then it will matter to him!
It’s all about Trump!
Humanity and the planet be damned.
Karma is taking a very long time to come around!
VOTE!
16
I agree, sort of ...
"My husband and I just visited LA for the first time since I was there as a teenager. The air is actually noticeably clean now ..."
Having just driven to and from San Diego from San Francisco, passing through several parts of the LA basin en route, two points stood out about LA traffic:
1. The air indeed is much cleaner than it used to be -- not what I would call CLEAN, but quite a bit CLEANER.
2. There are more cars than ever in the LA basin. Those cars may pollute the air less than they used to, but there are even more of them -- a LOT of cars.
To those folks commenting on how climate change cycles are a natural occurrence, you are correct. The problem that exists now is the coupling of those natural cycles with the human activity that's exponentially increased the intensity and pace of those cycles along with adding unnatural cycles to the natural ones. In the past, the natural pace of climate change cycles was slow and not as intense--which allowed the earth's ecosystems and the environment in general to evolve and adapt to those changes slowly over time as they always had in the past. Positing that what is being experienced now is no different than past cycles is simply not based in any understanding of how biology, climate, and evolution worked when humans didn't have the capacity to contribute to those changes with such great intensity.
26
Trump has no interest in anything that doesn't feed his predatory instincts.
He is a danger to children and other living things.
Please support this effort if you can:
https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/us/federal-lawsuit/
13
The reason we're hearing crickets chirping from our elected officials means that, it's official, they just plain don't care. Then, how can they care, and then act, if they don't acknowledge the problem in the first place.
And, I suspect, they don't acknowledge our warming climate because that would mean they would actually have to think. For a change. No, its far easier for them to deny, and deny again, the problem in the first place. It gets them off the hook of doing the hard work of changing current fossil fuel use policy and creating a new wealth in the renewable energy sector.
And, this is also why there needs to be new fresh, young political blood replacing these currently ancient political dinosaurs who are stuck in the old oil and coal burning mindset from a long gone era. Their stock portfolio's chock full of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Dupont shares are paying them millions in compensation.
If you think they're going to give that up, I've got a bridge to sell.
In the end, it's all about - money. Easy money. And power.
18
@RLC Unfortunately those in the government were elected by the people in this country, so our enemy is us.??
@Billy Bob, by a MINORITY of the people. The majority tried to warn them...
Just suppose the Trumpkins are realists about seeing this dystopian future.
That humanity is too stupid and greedy to avoid this coming doom.
The wall he wants to build is then prescience.
"Mexico will pay for it" would mean Mexico would pay for it's own wall. To keep out poorer neighbors.
''Mexico will build it'' would mean that Mexicans jailed after illegally crossing into the U.S. will be press ganged for slave labor after conviction.
A judgement of insanity does not preclude brilliance.
1
Donald Trump is absolutely incapable of caring about anyone but himself. Even his own children he loves in only the most superficial manner, viewing them as extensions of his marvelous self. Given this reality, it is hardly surprising that he does not care what happens to this planet or future generations. He knows that in the long run, he'll be just a face on Mount Rushmore.
14
Temps have been going down since 2001. Man has nothing to do with going up or down, and can do nothing about it. It is much bigger than humans. look at history not just 30years, look at 1000s 10,000s, 1,000,000s of years. Its a money scam.
You are misinformed. Scientists do evaluate data from tree rings, microscopic organisms, air bubbles trapped in ice cores, rocks, etc. from hundreds of thousands of years ago. They spend their lives studying and analyzing data and applying statistics to that data. It's math. It is true. As certain as the Earth revolving around the sun. Hundreds of thousands of career scientists agree. Your denial risks all our lives. Only fools believe their own limited experience against scientific facts and data and the educated opinions of mathematicians and scientists. It's not about politics, but about all life on Earth.
7
Do you want to know who is responsible for halting climate change? Look in the mirror.
3
As the world burns, Donald Trump tweets praises for dictators.
25
...and the deciding factor that determines civilization's fate won't be the totalitarian freakshows that are the Trumputins of the world, but, their followers. Hear that THUD? No one person holds any power over another unless they're INTELLECTUALLY granted that power. The continued posturing that goes on in support of a blatant political subversive and intellectual idiot, where the SURVIVAL OF CIVILIZATION is at stake, is nothing more than a collective ego-driven, adolescent inability to admit when one is wrong.
We all learned the same properties of the physical world/universe in the environmental sciences (you remember---that place where we went to gain OBJECTIVE knowledge to enrich/ enhance CRITICAL THINKING). To now dismiss that acquired objectivity in favor of infantile political "rightness"---and conjured belief---is ignorance at the breathtaking magnitude that makes it near impossible to even type.
Let's get this straight....so, the human science that affords your ability to travel the globe in hours, digitally navigate your domestic/ work life with a fingertip swipe of a screen, carry around a portal to the world in your pocket---that part of human knowledge and endeavor you can believe in, but when its discovery also informs you of what's decidedly inconvenient, you can just dismiss it at the expense of your future genealogy, and ours?
That's both arrogance and ignorance that proves we our level of consciousness far precedes our ability to cope with it.
10
When Mara Largo sinks beneath the waves, The Donald will finally say that climate change is real.
17
@HKS When that happens Trump will just declare that it's fake news and his merry band of Trumplorables will believe him.
3
@Disillusioned The report is only a ruse for the politicians and global leaders to enact a carbon tax. It becomes a life tax. It is essentially a tax for existing on this planet. We must resist. There is a reason that civilizations lived away from the coasts. We build high-rises next to the ocean and expect the water to not encroach. Again, the agenda is to enact a carbon tax in the name of climate protectionism. It will generate billions of dollars taken from each one of us. It will be used to further the agenda of the wealthy and the elites. We must resist and not fall for the ruse.
100% of the carbon tax can be rebated to citizens. Actually, there is a Republican proposal that does this:
https://www.clcouncil.org/media/TheConservativeCaseforCarbonDividends.pdf
1
Just another reason why the U.S. is moving further and further away from Democracy and to a full blown oligarchy with a touch of fascism thrown in for good measure by Trump.
The elites run the country, own the power, have the money, and THINK they know what's best for all the people and will push their own agenda ahead of what the majority wants.
With crooked campaign finance laws, power, corruption, gerrymandering, and the like is it any wonder less than half the voting age population actually votes. Is it all for show?
6
We’re running out of time. We need to accelerate the conversion to renewable energy sources and the best way is to price the fossil fuel industry out of existence without affecting those that can least afford it. Implementing a Carbon Fee and Dividend Plan is the most effective method of achieving this goal. And the best part of the plan is that our elected representatives can’t choose the winners and losers.
You can read about at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby website.
2
Even if fossil fuels weren't the cause of climate change, isn't it in our best interest to reduce the poisons that seep into the air we breath and the water we drink?
But I think that the one thing that could end the human race (& every other living thing) is the obscene amount of plastic that pollutes the planet. It's in the food chain now. How many more years will it take to manifest itself into a civilization killer?
9
Oh, pleease, let the path of the newest hurricane be in the direction of Mar o Lago. That will be the only way to get trump's attention - let's see how quickly his golf course gets a response from FEMA.
This is a rhetorical question, but what will it take to convince the climate change deniers that this is REAL? Two tornadoes in Ottawa, unheard of before, Toronto will be flirting with 28 degrees (not including humidity) today, October 9th, I've lost track of the excessive number of hurricanes which have hit the U.S. and the rest of the world, the landslides, tsunamis, torrential rainfalls in a few minutes which current infrastructure cannot deal with. What will it take?
I hope that I won't be around in 2040 to see the worst results of this continued lack of action.
3
Unfortunately, the report will not only land with a thud, it will fall on deaf ears and a closed mind.
13
Maybe DT could take part in a panel discussion with climate scientists and other world leaders so that he could share his facts about global warming.
Ha ha ha!
We wouldn't rely on uneducated & untrained politicians to perform heart surgery. Why are we relying on uneducated & untrained politicians to dictate our environmental policies?
15
To all those on this thread that are denying Anthropogenic Climate Change, please post your credentials.
Exxon knew what they were doing to our climate 40 years ago and not only covered it up, but actively promoted disinformation.
Shell knew as far back as the 80's.
Your bullheaded cynicism isn't going to protect your children and grandchildren from the disastrous consequences of your inaction. I will do whatever I can to prevent the willfully ignorant of this world from sealing my children and grandchildren to the same fate.
8
trumps plan is to acquire and consolidate as much wealth and power as he can. To do so he has to follow the authoritarian playbook: Forget about the public good and convince people that the public good is actually bad and is a conspiracy against him and his followers. Give as much money and freedom to be unethical to businesses and other wealthy elite.
The environment stands as much chance against trump as do small children alone in the desert, as do women in the workplace, as do the sick and infirm.
10
Thus Donald Trump cements his legacy: Short-term political profit "trumps" the good and welfare of the United States and the world at large.
This is putting America first?
10
In Trump's world, people are shuttled between air conditioned luxury hotels and golf courses in fossil fueled jets carrying family and friends. Droughts, floods, famines, decease, and war torn countries are for others, the losers. They should have read Art of the Deal, and they'd be winners like Trump, a self-made 10 billionaire. BWAHAHAHA
2
“The United States is leading the world in providing affordable, abundant and secure energy to our citizens, while protecting the environment and reducing emissions through job-creating innovation.”
Credited to Lindsay E. Walters, intended as praise for Donald Trump, this statement sounds more like something from a Stephen Colbert monologue spoofing the president's go-it-alone exit from the Paris Accord. The second half of the sentence is laugh out loud, sarcastically funny.
8
The only way to reduce carbon emissions without huge power bills increased poverty is nuclear power. Sceptics have some good points but we must assume the carbon problem is real and use all the technology available.
Wind and solar have severe limits and require coal or natural gas plants on standby. Nuclear does not.
Skeptics will not accept $.75/kwh power bills,the poor cant afford it.
2
I know personally that attacking climate change really works. My parents took me to Los Angeles in 1968 for vacation. We started in SF and drove down the coast. The closer we got to LA, the more I started coughing. The pollution was so bad, you could hardly see the mountains. I coughed until we lifted off in the plane heading home. My husband and I just visited LA for the first time since I was there as a teenager. The air is actually noticeably clean now even with more cars. No coughing.
Trump is a spoiled child who, for some reason, doesn't like to be part of anything. He claims he is waiting for a better deal than the Paris Agreement. There is no better deal and besides he couldn't see a better deal if it hit him in the face. He is a terrible dealmaker. For two years he has tried to convince the nation that he makes good deals. No, he makes people mad by bullying them. That isn't deal making. That's standing in a corner and stamping your feet until someone gives in. He's 72 years old. For him, he won't even notice the climate changing, but his grandchildren and great grandchildren will. But he doesn't care about that either.
6
“. . .The president’s isolation is not just from the world. . .”
Our Dear Leader may be isolated from the world—and reality—but he is not isolated from the Republican Party. And unfortunately, staunch Republican partisans now dominate all three branches of government. Does the party’s isolation from the rest of the civilized world’s opinion concern them? Not in the least. They plan to “plow through” regardless.
5
Understanding the Science of Climate Change is too difficult for the very stable genius mind of our very, very, ignorant, and anything-but-stable president. Perhaps some talented cartoonist can illustrate the consequences of burning fossil fuels in a comic strip style illustration to make it understandable for Trump and his equally ignorant, and/or self-serving, supporters.
6
This just continues to get worse. What is it going to take to get our administration to take this seriously? I guess the administration is taking the evolutionary view. Only the strong survive.
3
Yes, climate change is normal and natural for the earth. But, no, we do NOT have to continually contribute to it. Whatever we can do to avoid adding to the issue, we should do - for our great-great-grandchildren.
4
In the history of the earth climate has done nothing but change, alternating cooling and warming. We are currently in an interglacial period. 10,000 years ago Manhattan was covered by a couple miles of ice. The Chesapeake Bay did not exist. Then the earth moved into a warming period. The ice melted and the Chesapeake Bay filled in. To suppose that we puny humans can alter the normal cycles of the earth is delusional thinking. So is the belief that nations of the earth will honor the commitments made at Paris; we know nations will cheat and we pretty much know who they are. And the focus on electric cars is also just a photo op - cars are parked most of the time. Focus must be on planes, trains, boats, trucks, construction equipment - things that run continuously. Good luck with that. Herculean and costly efforts by all the nations might slow the warming a tiny bit, but the earth is going to warm and there’s really nothing that we can do about it. As always, we need to adapt.
1
@THOMAS WILLIAMS
In terms of adapting, we should each pay in proportion to the damage we cause. Wouldn’t a carbon tax that generated money to pay for adaptation be the most fair source of funds? That way, people with the largest carbon footprints pay the most to mitigate the large damage they cause, and vice-versus.
4
@THOMAS WILLIAMS translation: "the climate has changed over the earth's billion years of history, therefore extreme human induced warming can't be happening despite the evidence in front of our own eyes"
@THOMAS WILLIAMS
What an educated-sounding, cynical, defeatist, nihilistic pile of claptrap. No environmentalist would suggest there are not natural cycles of warm periods and cold ones. We've heard of the Pleistocene. What the evidence suggests today is that the intense release of greenhouse gases that began with the Industrial Age is creating a cumulative effect that is accelerating global warming. Since we are causing this problem, part of the adaptation you call for might include changing methods of generating power to reduce the impact of human activity. You cal humans puny. Well, maybe, but we are not a puny presence as a species. People who say this is part of a natural cycle should finish this sentence: We know what will happen with global warming, because the last time there were 7 billion people on this planet ---------.
7
Actually, Trump did say something about the storm about to hit Florida. He said "good luck." That's the official US policy on climate change under Trump.
42
Thank God that we have a great leader like President Trump that refuses to engage in the foolishness of human caused climate change. This is yet again the latest in a continuous stream of dire warnings. If the first dire warnings came true, we would have all been dead 10 years ago.
@bob Your factual claims in your last sentence are quite incorrect. Climate change is happening faster than was expected ten years ago.
But that is a fact, and since when do facts matter to climate change deniers?
6
@bob translation: "I haven't died yet, therefore climate change science is bunk"
2
@bob God doesn't like your choice of "great leader" but He appreciates your thanks. He has already begun to sow the seeds of destruction with sea-level rise and worse and worse climate related "natural disasters". This time it will be a lot longer than 40 days and 40 nights. Adios Amigos.
2
Im afraid at this point we can no longer afford political democracies. Only authoritarian governments have any chance at all at implementing even a small percentage of the required changes for survival.
3
Except that the consciousness level whereby authoritarianism is attractive and desirable happens to be the same consciousness level that does not value care for the environment
5
@Doug That's what we have now. Wait until Brazil starts clearing the forest. This will kick into overdrive.
1
Well, we are well on our way to that one.
He thinks his grandchildren can fight their way out of nature’s fury with their billions.
7
The Paris Accord was ratified as a treaty according to each country’s national norms. President Obama never submitted the Paris Accord to the American Senate for ratification; Obama merely affimed it was ratified. Trump can exit the treaty at any time as it has zero validity.
Of course the sky is falling, but much sooner than we thought. Right.
This article fails to note that the UN report calls for a carbon tax on gasoline of about $49/gallon in the US in 2030. Does anyone remotely believe this is feasible?
Remember how they use to call this stuff global warming, but then word got out that the numbers were being cooked, and in fact many parts of the world were showing cooler rather than warmer temperatures. Exit global warming, enter climate change.
Climate change is a nifty concept: Without understanding, much less explaining, the underlying causes and mechanisms, some scientists are now saying that it is a mysterious process called climate change that is making things cooler here, warmer there, wetter here, dryer there, windier here, less windy there. How that works no one actually knows, but it's a great catch-all for explaining poorly-understood phenomena and for frightening people.
Even the most cursory look at geological time shows clearly that the earth has experienced wet/dry and hot/cold periods more extreme than what we are experiencing now and what some scientists are predicting in coming decades. These extremes occurred long before industrialized mankind emerged on this planet, and will undoubtedly occur in the decades, centuries and millennia to come.
Of course humans can influence climate, but these processes are still poorly understood and overshadowed by processes such as glaciation, solar activity, etc.
1
Trump will be the most reviled person in history for his willful ignorance of the impending doom that is Climate Change. Where in the future, every single human will suffer, some far worse than others but everyone will know who the leader of the enemy of Mother Nature was: Donald Trump. The epitome of ignorance and self-righteous idiocy.
And every single species will pay for his and his ilk’s transgressions.
40
Of course the GOP is ignoring this emergency declaration—most of the GOP is filled with political slaves to Big Oil and corporate interest. Follow the money. Here in Texas, Cornyn and Cruz are both owned by Oil, the NRA, and pharmaceutical companies. The only politicians we should be elevating and electing are the ones like Bernie and Beto who work for their constituents and not corporations. There are only two people that vote for GOP: the ignorant and those who are active participants in the downfall of the planet in exchange for meager earnings compared to the billions pilfered by fake Christian overlords who have brainwashed some members of the lower and middle classes into believing that spirituality is the same thing as patriotism.
20
You can lead Trump and his acolytes to knowledge, but you can't make them think.
27
A little info on Jay Lehr:
According to archived tobacco industry documents, Jay Lehr was among “TASSC member scientists” who helped The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) draft its “Five Guiding Scientific Principles” document. TASSC began as an astroturf group for Philip Morris Tobacco, working as a “national coalition intended to educate the media, public officials and the public about the dangers of 'junk science'” and to “link the tobacco issue with other more 'politically correct' products”; and to associate scientific studies that cast smoking in a bad light with “broader questions about government research and regulations” - such as “global warming”, “nuclear waste disposal” and “biotechnology, according to memos from the PR firm APCO to Philip Morris in 1993
2
Anyone who actually believes man has caused the climate to change is out of their mind. Wake up people, climate change does not exist, never has, never will. If there is any shift at all, it is completely normal. This is just another scam brought to you by the crazy left. Ignore this and go on with your life.
1
@joe and your evidence for this is? Faux News is not a reliable source.
4
Still, would you agree with deforestation, pollution of rivers, seas and oceans, coral reefs getting destroyed, lakes drying up because of intensive agriculture and irresponsible use of pesticides?
2
We are here at the brink of climate catastrophe because a minority of willfully ignorant citizens of low populated states have an outside influence over our elections.
35
Just another day in the life of the most small-minded American president in modern times. But this is one issue where, to a great degree, “we the people” don’t need his cooperation. We can each do something every day to affect climate. Why, for example, are you still buying guzzling SUVs? And why are you driving it to work every day? Why do you still have incandescent bulbs in your home? You see where I’m going...
14
I think you need to ask your "why" questions to people that do not read the NYT.
2
Well Americans would rather listen to a bunch of lying stinking politicians like trump than the experts that have been studying this for years.
19
We hear plenty of anti-Trump logic, claims of fraud, claims of infidelity, plenty of lies, plenty of degrading humans who disagree with Trump, plenty of talks that Trump is actually advertising and promoting his own businesses and plenty of other despicable non-presidential behavior. But the only thing we need is WINS winning is contagious, we all know how important results are. Votes are the only thing that really counts work on getting a RECORD number of voters to the polls. That will guarantee a win.
1
May a biblical flood wash away Mar-A-Lago and it's $200k (400?) membership golfers, forcing poor Donnie the Divider back to the squalor of Camp David...
10
I'll drink to that! (-_-)
2
Under its present President, the United States of America have become an enemy of mankind.
25
He won't do anything about climate change until he can figure out a way to make money out of it.
16
Mr. Trump will not believe in climate change until his golf course is one big water hazard. Only when it "hits Home" will he admit there is a problem. If then.
7
He will blame Obama and Hillary.
2
The earth has been warmer then it is now many times before. Just recently before the little ice age in Europe there were vineyards in Germany and England that rivaled France. I suppose all the coral reefs were dead back then and the rest of the world on fire.
1
@Jim: Nice try. The coral reefs are dying due to ocean acidification (increased levels of dissolved CO2, not heat.)
9
...where it will be completely ignored.
2
Trump tries to convince his base to join him in his fantasy world of 50 yrs ago when - supposedly - America was a white, Christian country ruled by men. Everything flows from Trump's 'nostalgia' for that time. Trump and his administration are emblematic of a blast from the past when things like climate change, biodiversity, equality, racial diversity, and a connected global world didn't exist.
The people who follow Trump have somehow managed to 'drop out' of the contemporary world the rest of us live in and remain nestled in a 1950s pseudo landscape when there is no such thing as climate change.
What do we do about a country where millions of people are disengaged from modernity & don't believe in science - at least partly because public education in this country has been hollowed out for years - partly the result of a sustained attack by rightwing idealogues like the Koch brothers who know that a stupid ignorant populace will support their retrograde backward policies as long as they're kept ignorant and in the dark.
All of this is part of Trump's appeal to backwardness and ignorance because nobody with an education who lives in the modern world wants anything to do with him. All Trump has is his deplorable base which doesn't believe in climate change.
Trump only stays in power by denying reality. He's committed to this. We only get out of this mess by voting for Democrats next month & removing Trump from office as fast as we can.
23
@fast/furious
As Dr. Tyson says, the climate is changing whether you believe it or not.
4
The Washington Post ran a story showing that the Trump administration has in fact accepted climate change as a reality but cares little to do anything about it because it's a forgone conclusion that the damage cannot be stopped. The Post said that this is buried in a 500 page document produced by the NHTSA. I haven't slogged through the document, but it's publicly available at the NHTSA web site at this link: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/ld_cafe_my2021...
In effect, the USA has given up on climate change.
2
Chuck Klosterman has a theory that most important movements in human history end up having a single person who stands in as a representative in the future - like John Phillip Sousa is the shorthand for marching band music, or Herbert Hoover is for the Great Depression.
Trump has a good shot as being the shorthand someday for causing the coming climate catastrophe. It's not that he'll be blamed for causing global warming - he's more of a Nero, fiddling while Rome burns. A punch line in history, of his own making.
9
Trump twitter's as the earth burns. He seems to only care for his opinion when it comes to running this country. In the case of our environment he does not listen to science but rather to the energy companies who profit from his decisions.
9
I have been reading about climate change issues for years and this report does not surprise me. Each year of more thorough research and political inaction changes the calculation for catastrophe. This report should be everywhere. People should should be marching in the streets! This is not a problem for the next generation, we must solve this now.
9
It will occur before 2040--because variables involved are unpredictable. Appalling America exploiting devastation for ratings. ABC NBC CBS show dramatic coverage as if Hollywood Disaster Film. Switch to Democracy Now/PBS and they cover Cause --not the Effect, i.e Trump Disastrous Response to Global Climate Devastation. Clock ticking loudly toward Doom.
4
I'd like to retire, do some travelling, reading, and drinking before the world comes to an end. Uhmm, maybe I should get started. I don't think this ends well. ;(
1
I wonder often what is the hurry to have so much. So many of our billionaires are involved in businesses that do tremendous damage to our world and they know it. In Colombia the rich take all they can and do little to resolve the problems their legal and illegal industries create. For a few million under the table, politicians stumble over themselves to give away to foreign investors what belongs to everyone. These wealthy people live in other countries like the US and Europe. That is their escape. I am sure the billionaires have places studied where they and their families can live for centuries without worry of what is happening or has happened to the rest of the world. So most of us will die. Why should they care?
2
Decades from now, Trump will be remembered for one thing. All of his treacheries and turmoil will take a back seat. His self-dealing, racism, even his collusion with Russia will be mere footnotes. What we will remember is this: when we actually had the chance to do the right thing, our president rallied the country, turned us around, and marched us directly into the wrong direction.
11
It's rather naive to assume that the US must handle the climate change effort by ending coal. You can bet the Chinese and Russians will not be eliminating coal fired energy generation anytime soon.
We'll need more economically feasible means to generate power. I note that Gm is betting on wind power for their facilities in the US.
RAther than condeming the world for its' use of fossil fuels, let's have governments drive the building of the cleaner energies.
Relax Republicans. In a few decades there won't be any historian left to tell the humanity how you contributed to the planet's climate disasters. There won't be no humanity left either. But the saddest thing is that the poorest in the world will suffer the first and the most, while the 1 % of the richest who just don't care about the climate change, have all the ressources to hide themselves from the consequences of climate change as long as they can.
5
No mention of nuclear as an option? This is why I don’t trust these folks, nuclear is clearly the only way we get out of this problem, that is, if you believe these “dire” hysterical warnings.
2
The earth will survive. The plastic islands on the oceans will eventually be overgrown by opportunistic organisms, or sink and be consumed in the deep trenches. Mountains will rise and get washed to the sea. The sun will shine, winters will follow summers, and wild things will populate the earth. We will be gone, twitched off like a fly from the belly of a horse.
Isn't it amazing how quickly we have been able to befoul our own nest to the point it became inhabitable for us? We laugh at the demise of the dinosaur and use it as a metaphor for people who are unable to adapt. Yet their tenure on this earth lasted 165 million years, and ours a mere 3 to 5 million. Theirs was interrupted by a cosmic catastrophe, ours by hubris.
I am consoled by the fact that our beautiful perfect earth, so ideally suited for life will repopulate in the blink of that cosmic eye, just not with this version of sentience. I'm willing to float around in the ether after I slip this mortal coil and join in the reawakening at a more opportune time.
Blame Trump if you must. Just know your outrage means diddly in the face of what we all have allowed to happen on our watch.
6
@Memi von Gaza The earth has not become uninhabitable. It is, in fact, extremely habitable. There are almost 7.5 billion of us, and we inhabit climates ranging from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert, and everyplace in between. The supposed climate catastrophe you imagine, like all previous tipping points that somehow never actually tipped, is a projection of computer models that are manifestly unable to actually predict the future. So relax and live your life, and have a bit of skepticism when soothsayers predict doom repeatedly, always some decades in the future.
Nothing that "lands with a thud" on Trump's desk will have any impact on U.S. policy. It would not be heeded, but it won't even come to that, as it will not be read.
3
Just because it’s information that we don’t want to hear doesn’t mean it’s not true. Americans only want to hear news that is happy and positive or fits the story they want to hear. We have to be less ignorant than that. But I also think that we need to hear what we can do. Because I’m not a scientist and I’m also not a policy maker. I’m an average person who tries to recycle and avoid using straws. I feel helpless and therefore don’t really want to read about how the world is going to implode. But I think there needs to be more conversations about basic changes that the average person can do so we don’t waste more time waiting for politicians to decide to do nothing.
3
The GOP cabal that runs Washington, inspired by Trump as its leader, has adopted an incredibly cynical and self-serving policy of procrastination. It's rationalized by the assumption that the richest members of the kleptocracy can afford to insulate themselves from the impacts of their decisions, at least for another generation or two. Thus we have tax cuts that expire only after Trump & McConnell, Inc. have been elected to a second term, and climate policies that become someone else's problem down the road.
3
Ridiculous. The whole point of the report is that this is an effort that is NOT "galvanizing the rest of the world", as the woolly-headed NY Times weakly, and sentimentally, puts it, crying a crocodile tear into one of its handy nearby anti-Trump handkerchiefs. None -- that's right, none -- of the almost 200 Paris Accord signatories are doing anything concrete and effective to implement it. Actually things are going backward. Have a look at developments in, say, Germany, supposedly one of the most forward-thinking countries, where two coal mining complexes are being ENLARGED to provide electric power. The Paris Accord is, as everyone can now see, a purely sentimental paper exercise that is not going to result in any meaningful change -- which is the point this new report is trying to make. Funny, to see "climate change" believers slowly coming around to agree with George Bush's verdict in 2002, that Kyoto was "mush"; so is Paris. This is the League of Nations and Kellog-Briand Pact all over again. The believers are being played like a violin by the organizations whose interests this whole thing serves -- not least, the NY Times.
1
To Trump, the extreme wealthy/ rich, GOP, fossil fuel industries and industrial polluters of our environment and the world….wake up. There is not enough money in the world to buy a new planet. Our planet is signaling that it has had enough; this is a battle that the human race will surely lose and we and all future generations will suffer for it.
7
At the core of America's inability to address climate is our flawed bicameral government. At long as there two senators from every state the majority will be at the mercy of a tiny minority whose self interest dominates. I know it won't happen (until perhaps the nation is finally torn assunder) but I for one believe in a system of one man/woman one vote.
32
The dire climate warning report is right next to the dire ozone layer hole report that was supposed to have radiated us all to death by now.
2
@Jasphil the difference being, we acted on that warning. We let scientists advise us on the changes that had to be made. And most importantly, the CFC industry didn't have its hooks and chequebooks deep inside government. I've no doubt it would be a different story today.
@Jasphil, actually, the dire ozone layer report, unlike what's happening now, caused immediate reaction and legislation, both here and in other countries, and the problem was solved. That is, it was until companies in China started using the chemicals banned in the world again, so now we have that too.
You can try any argument you want, but facts are facts, and dire reports are warnings. And big problems are like big ships, they take a while to turn around. Just don't start demanding people help you when the ship hits the iceberg and starts sinking.
2
@Jasphil- May I remind you that the ozone issue was accepted by all nations and successfully addressed through the removal of CFCs. That's why we have not been "radiated to death". In fact how the world tackled CFCs is an example of how the world could address GHG emissions.
5
Why is the reporting on the IPCC's dire warning not the headline news today, and not just analysis of its place in the Trump Administration?
This topic has to be, this topic must be, and deserves nothing less than continuous bi-partisan news coverage.
70
@Heather Bathon Because 1) it came out yesterday, and was "headline" then -- this is far from the only article the Times has on this subject -- and 2) this is an article in the "Politics" section.
I don really understand your point, are you saying the Times should only report on the scientific conclusions, and not have any additional commentary on non-scientific ramifications???
1
@MadManMark I get the digital edition of the NYT and the IPCC report doesn't appear to have made the headline on the 'Home' page either yesterday or today.
My point in writing is not to exclude any part of the topic of global warming, but to amplify the coverage further.
The complete silence at the White House was barely matched by the near-complete silence on the two networks that I watched, both of which gave the briefest of accounts of this report at the very end of their broadcasts. Not good enough! More urgency and explanations are needed! If the broadcast networks can’t change their practices, how can we expect everyone else to make the radical changes that the report calls for?
30
Rosenstein didn't ever have to wear a wire to get evidence of Trump's mental incompetence---the evidence is right there, on TV and in the news every day, for all to see. So a warning of cataclysmic danger, put together by respected scientists, comes under his purview, and he ignores it. This is the same guy who said he saw thousands of muslims in Jersey City celebrating while 9/11 was in progress, the same guy who claimed "his people" that he sent to Hawaii about Obama's birth certificate were "finding amazing things." I could go on and on and on. Trump is like a toxic fairy tale, and tens of millions don't know any better, while the ones who should be protecting us from this monstrous lunatic (the republicans) are too corrupt and dishonest to do anything but support him.
66
Not surprised.
3
When it comes to any scientific information that will hurt Trump's appeal to big business and its political money, Trump is tone-deaf and morally bankrupt. Ugly!
16
Trump will only realize the coming calamity when it directly affects him, such as Mar-a-Lago under water. Our president is a fraud, a liar, a tax cheat, a money launderer, a sexual predator and probably guilty of more serious crimes, but when all is said and done he is just an old con man living in the past. The real criminals are his Republican enablers in Congress who could actually do something about climate change instead of rolling back all the environmental protections enacted by Obama.
51
Have they not learned by now that these end of days climate predictions do mor harm than good for the cause?
@Mons, not sure what "cause" you're talking about, but these aren't some kind of propaganda and messaging. These are the facts. Wildfires, floods, mass migrations are very real. In our neighborhood, yesterday, there was no ignoring the former, the town filled up with smoke filled fog for a while. It stinks like burning houses, and everyone is on edge.
But oh, gee, we should worry about packaging that so that people find the predictions more palatable? "Hi, I'd like to report a wildfire, add it to the dozens you are already fighting, and could you please not take any pictures of the orange flames, the houses burning, or the noxious smoke? People are having trouble with the brand."
3
Earth's climate has never changed with the speed it is changing now, unless we refer to the last major extinction event.
Those who brush off the seriousness of AGW are poorly informed.
15
All of this brings us to the question of our age. Are we now facing the possibility of another sudden biosphere change? This one of our own making. And will we survive?
We know that biosphere change can come quickly. The Permian Triassic mass extinction 252 million years ago and the Cretaceous extinction 66 million years ago are two examples of relatively rapid biosphere change. The Cretaceous came from a meteorite and resulted in low biosphere temperatures and the Permian Triassic came from high temperatures. Both were accompanied by atmospheric change so sudden and temperatures so extreme as to extinguish in a relatively short period of time a very large percentage of life on the planet. .
When such rapid biosphere change does occur, those species that are the first to be affected die out quickly. That is species like us. We inhabit a precisely bounded biological niche in the planet’s biosphere.
www.InquiryAbraham.com
8
@David Anderson, but that's what a well self-regulated planet should do with a species that is upsetting the balance and destroying the place.
1
I thought Mr. Trump had children? Does he have NO concern for their future?
I am most concerned about the time in the future when my granddaughter asks me "What did you do to prevent this calamity?".
14
@Lee Bonta Just like Trump doesn't believe the Law applies to him or his family, he doesn't believe physics does either.
2
I have just started telling the deniers to pray to whatever god they believe in that they are right, because when it turns out that they are wrong and their house is burning or under water or in a dust bowl they will be entirely on their own with their denial.
Don't bother looking to me for anything, not food, not water, not shelter, not sympathy, not ANYTHING because I WILL turn them away empty handed.
I will consider their malady a hoax too.
It they are unwilling to do anything to help themselves while they can, why should I be willing to even lift a finger to help them???
9
@Dan Stepaniak
How exactly do you plan on identifying them? Are you keeping a list?
And will he actually read the report?
Meanwhile, hurricane Michael - one of the biggest yet - heads toward Florida. And US taxpayers will fund another replacement roof at Mar-a-Lago.
10
This is akin to when George W received a memo stating "Bin Laden determined for terrorist strike in America". We should not repeat the ostrich strategies of the past. Immediate Action is needed
9
@B Moore
It really isn’t. That was an educated guess and the result of ignoring it was 3000 deaths. Climate change is an irrefutable fact, and ignoring it will result in the extinction of all existing species on the planet.
3
@B Moore @Doug -- you both make great points (Doug, it's's not an either/or)
1
There are few things I find so scary and so impotent to do anything about. Vote, yes, but the insane vote as well. I wish I believed in God, some invisible force that would save us, but I don't. It rests with us, and we aren't doing a very good job. And it all requires a new way of thinking and being, one where humans learn to fit in, to live in harmony with the rest of creation. From the gigantic homes of the very rich, to the large families of the poor, we all contribute to the destruction of this beautiful earth. Wake up, people!
21
The global warming scare is government-sponsored quack science, as explained well enough by countless scientists of great standing, including Dr. Jay Lehr of the Heartland Institute in the United States, Lord Christopher Monckton, an hereditary peer in Great Britain, and Dr. Habillo Abdusamatov, head of space research at the Pulkolvo Astronomical Observatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. Pope Francis has jumped on the climate change bandwagon, breaking all the lessons the Catholic Church learned the hard way from the episode of Galileo. The New York Times needs to change course, and cease mixing politics with science on the question of global warming.
2
@John Remington Graham
There needs to be a system put into place, akin to the carbon tax, that recognizes climate deniers and treats them appropriately. Can they be utilized, for example, as an alternative power source?
3
@John Remington Graham
countless scientists of great standing???????
I have not heard of any of the three people you mention. Your describing Christopher Monckton as a British hereditary peer doesn't impress me. Why should he know anything about climate change? Your labeling the issue as 'global warming' tells me you haven't looked at the issue of climate change, suggesting you are not at all up to date in your reading, John Remington Graham.
2
@Doug - Excellent!
Bob Woodward cites countless examples in his book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," of Trump's steadfast refusal to let factual information or the experience of experts change his opinion on anything. Whether it is taxes, trade deficits, immigration, Iran or climate change, Trump is constant in his positions because of his willful refusal to listen to reason. Woodward's book is a litany of the frustrations of his staff to engage him in any meaningful dialogue to educate him about anything. And this is just how his supporters want it.
So, don't expect any change in Trump's thinking now, and in particular don't expect any positive action by Trump on climate change. He is more likely to announce new subsidies and tax incentives to build new coal-fired generators, just to prove that he can't be influenced by facts.
Tillerson said it best: the President is a moron. And the fact that there is even one person in the country who supports him, let alone 40% off the electorate, is deplorable.
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The report was so realistic it demanded that Americans pay $240 per GALLON of gas. Just another United Nations extortion attempt.
2
@Ryan
Please cite,chapter and verse, the section of the report which "demands" that Americans pay $240 per gallon of gas.
And I suppose that Europeans will have to pay the equivalent of $500 per gallon.
That will teach those dang "socialists."
2
@Ryan
You are incorrect. In order to have any hope whatsoever, however faint, of missing the worst effects of 1.5 increase, all oil-based fuel sources must immediately end. So no fuel at any price. Please explain how the U.N. benefits from this.
2
Dear Donald Trump,
Wishing something were untrue does not make it so. All the money, power, ego and/or sycophants in the world will never change that.
DP
16
@D Price He isn't "Wishing something were untrue." Trump's just not even bothering to consider it at all.
2
Trump and all the other deniers need to visit with their new NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine. After arriving at NASA and being introduced to the truth up close and personal, he is no longer a hoaxer.
4
Seriously? Does anyone believe that one more report is going to penetrate the minds of the impenetrables (a phrase I wish Hillary had used instead of deplorables)? Science denial is a religion with conservatives. Friends I have in the global warming field tell me that the focus today is not on proving the existence of global warming, but rather on determining how to penetrate the minds of the deniers. The most accurate statement in the editorial "one way or another the facts win out" unfortunately predicts our doom.
25
@Disillusioned The report is only a ruse for the politicians and global leaders to enact a carbon tax. It becomes a life tax. It is essentially a tax for existing on this planet. We must resist. There is a reason that civilizations lived away from the coasts. We build high-rises next to the ocean and expect the water to not encroach. Again, the agenda is to enact a carbon tax in the name of climate protectionism. It will generate billions of dollars taken from each one of us. It will be used to further the agenda of the wealthy and the elites. We must resist and not fall for the ruse.
I mean who thought he'd read such a complex report anyway. Maybe the comic book version...
5
Absent from this piece is how much energy is required to run this nation each day, how little "green energy including hydro" contributes (even with huge subsidies) and how the poor will fare when energy is rationed and GDP plunges. Home solar? - Who pays for the grid? IMO, the only short-term solution is the "mini-nukes", but then the greenies don't want them either. They think there is a solution which will enable them to waste all the energy they want at no cost. There is not.
1
@Mark
We just give up then?
Jim
1
For over 20 years, many of us civil engineers (at least the ones that don't get their science from Fox news) have been telling anyone who will listen that a changing climate is making invalid the fundamental engineering standards for infrastructure design. The past is no longer prologue. If we design roads, bridges, etc. using standards based on past environmental conditions they will likely fail or go non-functional in the not-too-distant future. Unfortunately, few cities, states or federal agencies will listen to us. Moreover, not following the currently accepted standards puts us in jeopardy for claims and litigation.
But, you know what. We're sick and tired of trying to convince purposefully ignorant people that the climate is changing and the design of civil infrastructure has to change with it. We're just gonna go with the flow and do things like we always have done: applying the old design standards just like nothing is happening and get paid for our work. And, when infrastructure project fail, we can come in and fix them...and get paid again. We have a new take on the old Pennzoil ad: You can pay me now AND pay me later.
66
@Bill Wallace: Correction. The ad was for Fram Oil Filters, not Pennzoil.
1
Trump fills us with outrage when he talks about walls and keeping out immigrants and separating children from parents at the border.There is so much to loathe but the greatest threat to all of us is his distain for climate change.Obama realized that time was slipping away from us in terms of limiting the ravages environmental damage and took some forward steps.Trump has reversed this and is doing nothing .At this late date his ignorance presents us with an imminent danger- more deadly storms and fires.All the tax cuts in the world cannot mitigate the damage to us and our environment which cannot be undone.
24
This is why I am troubled by my Democratic party, we just seem to have only one weapon in our arsenal, which is guilt. When that doesn't work we tend to throw our hands up and let the other side rule the day. Maybe we should attack them at their flank, while Trump gives us the opportunity, and return to God.
God gave us the most beautiful machine, Eden is not a place on the Earth, but rather the entire planet. He gave us abundant energy with this beautiful, powerful generator we call the sun. Our fore fathers couldn't understand God that well, so they started a little off track by digging up the sun's energy, processing it and then burning it. But God laughed, how silly we must seem. But now we have figured out his Genus and we can understand it better. All the energy we need is in the air and the light, no digging needed. Praise God!
6
@Chris Spratt
When the coming apocalyptic events begin to occur only then will humans realize we've destroyed fragile gift God has granted.
2
Trump discusses Supreme Court battle instead of climate change report?
The same could be said about almost every left leaning media outlet and “share” that I’ve seen on my Facebook news feed for the last 48 hour.s. Climate change is far to “science-ish” to compete with the timeless drama of sex and power dynamics. There’s an election coming up for Gods sake. Perhaps he’s smarter than we give him credit for. Considering his abominable core beliefs on the subject, this is hardly the moment I would expect some sort of out of the blue knee jerk pivot. Trump “gets” media and short attention span of the average person and what grabs them emotionally.
My impression from what I’m seeing from “my side” is that the world is more interested in the 1 in 4 female celebrities who now have the “courage” to come out and say they were sexually abused...than the economics of climate change and food production...of for that matter...what someone who really cares can do TODAY to help get out the vote for Democrats on November 6.
11
I live in Indiana. I recently saw a report that in 25 years our climate would resemble that of southern Arkansas with hotter, longer, more humid summers and very little in the way of cold in the winters. While on the surface this sounds good, it also means our farmers will have to adapt and we will have different insects to deal with, just for starters. This alarms me greatly.
23
Last week, I had lunch in a Sonoma County vineyard with several Americans. The discussion centered around wildfires (the mountain above us was still charred from last year’s Santa Rosa fires), increasing flooding and storms. I mentioned climate change, and one couple rolled their eyes and declared there was no such thing. What can you do with such wilful ignorance.
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@Patricia Sears Dear Fellow Canadian: have you noticed that the Premiers of Ontario, Saskatchewan are openly in opposition to carbon taxes or equivalent measures? Did you notice that the party winning the most seats in the New Brunswick election is opposed to climate action even as the party still clinging to government has tried to implement a carbon tax by simply renaming the existing tax on gasoline? Have you noticed the wavering of the government of Manitoba? Have you noticed that the government in waiting in Alberta proudly boasts of its opposition to climate change action? Have you noticed that the official opposition in Ottawa opposes any carbon tax? The United States may be uniquely unenlightened at its federal level being the literally the only country in the world opposed to climate change action, but we Canadians have badly caught the contagion of their ignorance and we are just about as bad inasmuch as those Americans who see the truth have done far more to actually help arrest the problem than anything done by our dear Canada which loves to talk a good game but in the end does next to nothing. Even as the US is officially in opposition sub-jurisdictions such as California are doing much more than we are to get the problem under control.
7
The republicans own this. They have been told for years yet they still could care less it cost them to much money. So it will be too late and then they will blame the dems
27
@J Clark, nope. We all own it. Unless you've got transportation off the planet and a place to go.
2
Dereliction of duty.
17
The reason Trump doesn't care is because he is fundamentally a bad person. People who don't care about this issue are failures as human beings.
48
From there it will land with a thud in his trash can. Trump doesn't understand the science, and besides he Just. Doesn't. Care.
47
The Trump maladministration and a Republican Congress are the two worst things that could happen in the midst of an environmental crisis. These are people who deny climate change exists, and care only about themselves, money and keeping big business happy. Short-termism in the extreme.
Please, Americans, rid the world of these environmental vandals. Vote in November!
73
When you find yourself drilling so deep in the Gulf of Mexico that you can't repair a blowout for several months, or drilling in the newly melted Arctic Ocean. When you find yourself blowing the tops off the Appalachian Mountains, or fracturing the ground beneath your feet to capture whatever methane you can while preventing the government from measuring the methane you can't. When you're fighting or threatening wars in the oil-rich Middle East, or hacking Western democracies to get them to lift their sanctions on your Siberian oil. When you're skinning Alberta, steam-cleaning its topsoil, and piping the gunk to Louisiana to be 'processed'... its running out. These are all symptoms of desperation. It's a nonrenewable resource, it was never going to last forever, and its running out.
We're going to destroy all of Earth's ecosystems, permanently, and our own children's economy, just to forestall the transition to a non-fossil-fueled economy, by a few decades, that we have always known we were going to have to make anyway. For our kids and grandkids, that's going to be the unkindest cut of all.
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@Phil "...destroy all of Earth's ecosystems, permanently,..."
Well, pretty sure the Earth will eventually recover, settle into a new state, or even a much better one from a species diversity perspective. It is just that humans likely won't be a part of it.
12
No, it landed with a thud in his garbage can. He doesn't care, and they don't care, and they don't believe it. Trump, as a proxy for the Republican party, is looking to pillage as much as possible, doesn't care about the effects he is creating and its effect on the climate, and expects his money to keep him safe from harm.
36
Conservatives deny climate change because they cannot deal with the solutions.
They would rather see the coasts submerged and stronger storms and hurricanes than submit to any governmental regulations.
"Rugged Individualism" at the expense of the common good. "Free Markets" at the expense of clean air, water, and public health. "Self Determination" at the expense of the dignity of the common working person.
Too much "me" at the expense of "us".
60
Failure is an option. These reports (IPCC, IPBES, MEA, GEO6) are the instrument panels on the dashboard of spaceship earth. They are produced by literally tens of thousands of talented scientists and policy makers and written in a dispassionate albeit alarming manner. We ignore them at our peril. The real question is what story will play out: Apollo 13 (happy ending) or Titanic (not so happy ending). Trump and his supporters (who seem to have provided some idiotic comments here) are significantly increasing the probability that this well be a Titanic story.
23
Thank God we live in a democracy where, at least for the moment, citizens can still override the foolish, self-defeating and inhumane policies of presidents by exercising the right to vote, becoming engaged in our communities and writing in publications like this.
We’re down, but we’re not out.
43
In 2040, IF Trump is still alive, he'll be 94 and not long for this world. While Daddy Trump made it to 93, and was senile at the end, given Trump's life-style, lack of exercise, obesity, high cholesterol (and probably BP), and teenager food preferences, it's hard to imagine he'll make it to 2040. And that's despite Dr Jackson's bizarre contention he could live to age 200!
Given Trump's total self-involvement and selfishness, it's clear he doesn't care that his children and grand-children will have to face the consequences of his inaction. After all, he believes all kinds of crazy, unscientific stuff in multiple directions, like there's a life-force we have that exercise uses up, and that Obama was born in Kenya in a 1961 conspiracy to put him in the White House. Oh, and that "clean coal" is real.
He doesn't care, because there is no benefit to Donald Trump.
29
it is true that cyclical natural trends impel some degree of global climate change in geological time frames, but the Anthropocene carbon emissions of the past hundreds of years are constant, ever increasing, more concentrated and more efficient than natural trends
4
@Marc, the more than quadrupling of the population hasn't helped, either.
2
an unnamed storm in the Caribbean turns into a hurricane within 48 hours and people think this is a conspiracy of the left?
the poorly educated are the bane of the world's existence.
224
Everything is great until it isn't. Darwin's theory of evolution is getting ready for the ultimate test. You can post all the dire warnings but there are those that still will not leave in the face of an approaching hurricane. Trump appeals to those that like his defiance, but when all chaos breaks loose, he is nowhere to be found. All 7 billion of us continue to expect the planet to keep on giving while we keep on taking. Being voluntarily ignorant and disengaged about climate change will quickly unravel civilization. Unlike escaping a hurricane, dying is the only escape from planet earth.
74
Trump is oppositional. Not only will he ignore the findings, he will gleefully direct his minions to see that the coming catastrophe is purposely made even worse. Until Mar-a-Lago is threatened, Trump will do nothing except the opposite of what should be done.
55
Just as there was a call to science during the space race there should be a call to science now to develope technologies that may help forestall excess carbon dioxide. I weep for my children, my grandchildren, my country and my planet. Trump’s embrace of the Evangelical right and the coal industry to make environmental policy must not be tolerated. Vote!
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@Rose
Too late, Rose. The remaining uncertainties are only around the scope and speed of the irreversible damage. So far, even the most dire projections have already proven to be far too conservative.
3
Trump will never issue a call to science. His whole m.o. is to deny facts, deny critical thinking, deny what’s in front of your face. Only believe what he says cuz he’s so smart. Give up your agency and follow.
1
@Rose The evangelicals will continue to pray for the simple things that they can comprehend while their wishes for the rapture unbeknownst to them are just around the corner.
1
I really cannot believe that there are people with children who are stealing their children's and grandchildren's future by ignoring reality. Fake news? Hardly.
Vote in November.
171
President Trump has complained about the mess he inherited, well here is another. He needs to deal with it like it or not.
37
@Girish Kotwal Mess? He relishes messes and creates them by the hour. He loves to break things while also claiming to be the great fixer. He's not. We are broken. Well done, Trump.
8
Donald Trump is 72. In 2040, he will be 94. His father died at 93, his mother at 88. Since Trump cares about no one but himself, he figures that by the time the worst hits, he will be dead. And in the meantime, he has enough money to buy all the food he needs, hire bodyguards to protect him from breakdowns in society, move wherever he needs to escape rising waters or rampaging fires. Yes, a warmer planet and unpredictable weather will be devastating for many, but only one person matters, Donald Trump.
144
@Ockham9, but he's young at heart. It's estimated that at heart, he's got the mind of a two year old.
1
But money from a failed state, and Manhattan real estate will be worthless. " What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"
1
@Cynthia Adams. I'm quite sure that as he sees the changes coming, Trump will unload the property (that goes for Mar-a-Loco too) to some other unsuspecting sucker. After all, he has cultivated his base to believe that climate change is a hoax, and we all know that he stiffed his contractors and workers. If the world economy goes south, it's unlikely that the US dollar will fare any worse than other currencies, and besides, he probably has rubles stashed in Moscow. And finally, who thinks Trump cares about his soul?
Here in Australia we have a conservative government, and our environment minister has responded to the IPCC report by suggesting the technology will be developed so coal can be burned without releasing CO2.
Forget voodoo economics - we now have voodoo chemistry.
Better hope Trump doesn't pick up on this idea.
128
@Steve Bright Technology exists for reducing CO2 from coal, but not tested on a large scale. And it costs $$$
So until it exists, switch to solar, wind, and until storage options exist for renewables, keep or expand nukes for caseload power and use natural gas as a bridge that must also be phased out. Oh, and go all in on conservation measures. There's no excuse for continuing to burn coal by 2030 in Australia, the U.S. and China.
9
@John B
You always get CO2 from coal - 1 ton coal = 3.6 tons CO2.
You can try to capture the CO2 and sequester it, but it's not economically feasible.
The best solution is to use renewables (solar/wind/tides) and store the energy. Look up pumped hydro.
@Steve Bright You blokes are also on the fast track to producing Hydrogen for export, by means of a non-polluting and near zero carbon footprint venture.
All that is left is the investment in infrastructure, and a global shipping fleet. Venture capitalists, from Sydney and abroad should fill the billabong with dollars and yen.
Keep up the good science, and we are looking forward to your global exports!
1
A very strong reason to sit during the national anthem. Our nation is horrible.
145
@Ed The problem is, it isn't an American sole issue BUT a worldwide danger.
23
@Thierry Kron But the rest of the world is doing something about it.
Perhaps Trump's wall should be portable so it can also be used to surround Manhattan. The Chinese will join Mexico in paying for it.
22
If Trump and the GOP were to accept this document it would stand smack dab in the way of their agenda: air we can't breathe, water we can't drink, food that is poisoned, etc. all for the sake of corporate profits.
112
@Ellwood Nonnemacher Not wanting to be the one to get on the "corporate profit bandwagon", we really don't all need to be reminded that our purchasing habits, and choices, drive the mercantilism that fuels the economy, and promotes our very demise.
Personal change is difficult. Socially moderating a national economy is downright improbable, and saving the planet is impossible.
So let our global voice be heard, that we will change, will make the national commitments to saving our future generations, and make the impossible, possible.
3
...for the sake of trump’s power.
1
Another article making it sound like climate change, linked to human production of carbon dioxide and other gas types accumulating in the atmosphere, is Trump's fault.
But, climate change is not Trump's fault. The entire human population is supported by the use of fossil fuels.
Manufacturing of vaccines, manufacturing of medicine, transportation to work, powering hospitals, schools, government buildings and the building housing NY Times staff? All totally dependent on burning hydrocarbons.
It would slow things down if Americans stopped wasting so much oil driving monstrous pickup trucks and SUV's around for no reason. But, in the end, using smaller vehicles will still use up all the hydrocarbon.
The fault of climate change is: Total dependency of all economies and human life on fossil fuel. Total dependency. Removing that total dependency, rapidly, would come with a giant reduction in the population. Of humans anyway.
5
@Michael Trump didn't create the problem, but he's moving us further away from the solutions with multiple rollbacks of existing, cost effective regulation and ignoring the coming global storm in terms sea level rise, ecosystems ruined, displaced populations turned into refugees and more discussed in the IPCC report..
You are right that the existing dependency on fossil fuels is so great, it can't be replaced in just a few years. That's no excuse for DT's continued denial of reality, promoting continued use of coal, not adopting policies like a rebatable carbon tax, and job creating programs in renewable energy alternatives. To paraphrase an old sailor's maxim- stop relieving yourself into the wind...
31
As long as USA policy is designed to provide aid and comfort to those citizens who choose to live in climate-vulnerable communities, they, like their president, will ignore the facts. Those of us paying for their vulnerabilities may very well revolt at some point!
17
TRUMAN SAID THE BUCK STOPS HERE, When referring to his role in leadership by example. Truman was the opposite of Trump. He had a role of stamps he paid for in his desk drawer. It was expected that the staff would affix Truman's personal stamps to any letters having to do with personal business, as part of his recognition of the fact that there is a distinction to be made between the official duties of the President of the US and his personal activities. Of course, Truman was entitled to free mailing privileges for life once elected. But his ethical standards were so clear that he would not use public funds to conduct his private business. Trump is precisely the opposite, hiring his daughter and son-in-law to run his misadministration, paying them salaries from taxpayer dollars to do his bidding. Cabinet members have disgraced themselves by greedily spending taxpayer dollars to purchase themselves frivolous luxuries paid for by the 99%. For example, Nikki Haley's $100K+ motorized curtains. And the lobotomized brain surgeon, Ben Carson who spent exorbitant amounts on furniture. It used to be that spending too much money was a firing offense for Cabinet and other high government officials. Now it's warmly embraced. And given tacit approval. With all that squandering of public monies, is it surprising that Trump did not respond to the dire warnings of the UN about the catastrophic global climate change? After all, he's too busy being "smart," by avoiding taxes!
80
@John Jones
Just to put the record straight Nicky Haley did not order those curtains, the Obama administration did. By the way, I'm a strong democrat.
Another article suggests a carbon tax larger than is in place in some countries would help force action on climate change. Humble Beast's comment on this article refers to the 1% who rule the country. Perhaps they could rule for the carbon tax as a means to increase their wealth. It would be easy to pay a 25% tax by increasing prices by 28% and pocketing the difference. They have long had the ability to do such actions.
3
The once again phony scare tactics will not work. When will the left learn that they cannot run the world? Thankfully, we have a government not intimidated by the progressives desire to dominate every aspect of our lives.
@Independent For Life
Are you suggesting the Arctic Ice caps melting are a "phony scare tactic" by the left? Seriously?
214
Think of the money we could save by eliminating science from curricula—since Americans don’t believe science.
16
@Independent For Life
If you don't believe climate change is real, you should consider moving to Tangier Island off the coast of Virginia. Scientists say it will be erased by rising sea levels in 50 years. So you can no doubt get some great deals on real estate there.
25
"That bottom-up activism is a source of hope for those who have watched in despair since last year when Mr. Trump declared he would pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord. But experts say it is no substitute for the world’s largest economy, and second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, turning its back on the fight." Does the author know what "substitute" means? Why would anyone want a substitute for the second largest CO2 emitter abdicating the fight against climate change? And since that is indeed happening, any similar development would not be a substitute but an exacerbation. We're better off without anything remotely like it.
I no longer care if the human race survives. Humans have demonstrated time again that they don't deserve the privilege of life on this once-beautiful, once-bountiful planet. The destructive, parasitic lives we lead have not at all been symbiotic with or respectful of earth's precious natural resources, fauna and flora.
I don't want suffering, disease, famine for those of us who have tried fighting against corporate and religious climate change deniers, but the minority 1% men who rule the world, and their willfully blind 35-40% followers, have been warned about this for decades. They don't care. So I do hope they suffer, but sadly they have money to build bunkers in New Zealand and elsewhere, which they are indeed currently in the process of doing.
129
We really do all deserve to die off. We know the reasons societies have collapsed in the past-Overpopulation and resource depletion. Duh. Look at the animal world in ocean and on land-we are the only animals that destroy. Maybe the next round of humans that evolve on this polluted planet will be smarter.
5
Well, yes, and if you take that view, keep in mind the earth has been through many epochs. Most of it’s existence does not resemble the eden you describe. So now it enters a new epoch - and will continue along its path for several billion more years, having shed humankind in a blink, until it sinks into an expanding sun.
2
The UN climate panel issued warning of dire consequences can move only the common sense guided people and leaders into action but unlikely to make any difference to Trump and his Republican folks who prefer the ostrich like denial of climate change reality for fear of losing fund money from the polluting fossil fuel industry.
94
@Prof. Jai Prakash Sharma
GREED is truly the most terrible challenge of our times, and capitalism is its tool, its means to power and more greed.
Greed is a (contagious) MENTAL ILLNESS, an unfillable hole, a hunger that denies justice, a brutal expression of broken egos.
Greed is having a million times as much as the poor and still feeling you don't have enough.
Greed consumes the earth without respite, and is a cancer on humanity.
Greed destroys us and our children and their future.
Greed is death.
10