This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Wedged between the IPCC wrapping up its fourth assessment and the Bali negotiations for a "son of Kyoto" (a successor treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions globally), comes the Scientific American climate change series. We've got an interactive map of climate change impacts, Q&As with Stern/Lomborg/Yohe on its cost and even 10 potential solutions (plus a bonus if you read the whole article!) It's the latter I'm most interested in. Beyond igniting a fire under carbon capture and storage, which seems absolutely vital to me if we are to seriously restrain carbon dioxide, what are the solutions that you require? Is it a tech fund? An enhanced commitment from industrialized countries given their historic share in the problem? Or a radical re-thinking of human population? And don't worry about the carbon lurking behind your keystrokes or utterances (inconvenient that we breathe out the stuff), you can always buy an indulgence.
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
