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The Best Science Writing Online 2012
Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
"The energy we use can sustain our planet, or destroy it." So said U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday while addressing the United Nations, talking about the twin challenges of climate change and energy consumption.
His counterpart from China, Hu Jintao, offered a similar perspective, touting his country's headlong rush to cleaner energy sources, particularly hydropower and nuclear power. He also promised an unspecified cut in carbon intensity—a measure of greenhouse gases emitted per widget produced.
And former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan offered the following advice to an audience at Columbia University during Climate Week: "Set an example yourselves, if you can bicycle, if you can walk. If you don't have to drive don't do it."
But are bicycles or even carbon intensity cuts enough? No.
Ongoing science reveals that climate change is worse than we feared. "On all kind of parameters they looked into they could just say things have grown worse since the IPCC report came out." That's Danish minister Connie Hedegaard, leader of the diplomatic push for a global treaty at Copenhagen this December.
World leaders are running out of time to come up with a solid solution before that meeting. But addressing the energy challenge, which would go a long way toward addressing the climate change, is ultimately about global moral and economic standing. As President Obama said back in April, "The nation that leads the world in creating new energy sources will be the nation that leads the 21st-century global economy."
Unfortunately, as the president observed yesterday, “The magnitude of our challenges has yet to be met by the measure of our actions."
—David Biello
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6 Comments
Add CommentAs long as we continue to allow coal, oil, and gas burning engines and plants to spew billions and billions of tons of CO2 into the air, we will never be a leader in clean energy and the only thing we will sequestor will be our economy and health.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs long as we want to live in caves, use our legs as transportation, and eat raw food instead of identifying the real problems and seeking true solutions, we shall continue to live with "pop" science.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisStop burning coal, oil and gas and you watch what would happen to our economy and health. We might wish were were Zimbabwayans.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo. The ongoing science does NOT climate change is worse than feared. New research shows carbon soot causing over 50% of the glacier and icefield melting. Seems the IPCC miscalculated the effects. New research shows land use change causing most of the land temp increases. And perhaps the location of temperature sensors in cities is a bit at fault also?! Research shows walking increases total energy use over driving a car.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen will our leaders stop being herd animals willing to rush over a cliff? This is why we shouldn't elect lawyers to office.
The rush to pass rules is more because people are wising up and politicians are losing the opportunity to enslave humanity in a scheme that will cripple our economies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh no! Climate change is worse than feared - again!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNever mind that it can't be seen from the actual data.