The latest report on Global Warming compiled by 250 scientists collaborating with 195 governments has come to a startling conclusion: Climate change is real and sea levels are rising faster than predicted. But climate change is confusing so here are five questions to ask:
1. Is this controversial?
Rarely do scientists agree so completely on anything. The remarkable thing about the science of climate change is the almost total unanimity of scientists on this subject. The “controversy” regarding climate change is entirely manufactured; there is no controversy amongst scientists.
2. Will it be costly?
We all know that it is much more difficult to put together anything after its broken. This applies to Climate Change too. For every dollar we do not spend fixing the problem of Climate Change our children will spend hundreds of dollars doing so.
3. Can something be done?
Yes something can be done, but the answer is not with making cosmetic changes. The answer lies with accounting for the true cost of carbon usage and making sure that those who increase the level of carbon in the atmosphere pay for removing it. Once the pricing model of energy reflects the true cost of carbon usage, a thousand flowers will bloom and alternate technologies will rise up. As these scale up the cost of energy will eventually go down not up.
4. What if scientists are wrong?
If scientists are wrong and we end up switching to wind, solar, bio-fuel, and nuclear power for no reason that would hardly be catastrophic. But if they are right and we did nothing then our children will never forgive us for our lapse in judgment. Climate change or not we are sooner or later going to run out of non-renewable conventional energy sources that we currently rely on. All this will do is force us to make the switch sooner rather than later.
5. Who will pay for it?
The cost of hurricane Sandy or Katrina was not optional. On the same lines the cost of climate change will have to be paid whether we like it or not. The cost will be like an additional tax on energy use. If we act fast the costs will be much smaller and may be equivalent to an additional tax of $1 per gallon of fuel used. It will hardly make a dent in our lifestyle and in a few years the cost will rapidly reduce to zero as alternative technologies kick in. (From year 2000 to 2013 the price of gasoline has more than doubled and we have not been reduced to poverty by this.) If we do not act then our children may have to pay a much steeper price and the higher price tag will most definitely affect their lifestyle.
Many times the answer to a problem comes only when we ask the right questions. This article seeks to frame the right questions to ask regarding climate change. Once we do this the solution to climate change hardly seems difficult, expensive, or even controversial.
Related: UN Panel Endorses Ceiling on Global Emissions – NY Times.
Credits:This has been written by Raj Shah and edited by Ketna Shah. MyLifeYoga is about health and well being, and this includes both internal and external, and also the health of our environment and those around us.
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