Last year was the warmest year on
record, and this year is likely to be hotter.
That’s just the plain facts, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The New York Times says the NOAA report “is a powerful reason for
rich countries to begin making good on their promises to help low-lying island
nations, some of the poorest countries in the world, build their defenses
against the disastrous effects of climate change, which some are already
experiencing.”
The key words here—the devastating truth—is that global climate change
is happening now in a progressive pattern. Translation: even if humans could
magically stop polluting the atmosphere today, global warming will continue to
get worse for many years….global climate change will continue to make our lives
more costly and more vulnerable.
The simple recipe is: we have to stop using coal, we have to tax
carbon emissions and we have to start using a whole lot more energy from alternative sources. Of course, of course, that’s easier said than done, but we must act smarter. Our inaction will cause our grandchildren to suffer.
Already, some mid-ocean
island nations are visibly being submerged by rising ocean levels.
Already, droughts
are becoming more intense in Africa and in the Middle East.
The August 8 item in
the New York Times spells out the bottom line:
“While the world ponders ways to reduce emissions, the consequences of climate change are already underway.”
Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2016
All rights reserved.
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