Yes, it IS an existential threat

In the August 12 Post Featured Guest Column, Washington Post writer George F. Will argues that “With a closer look, certainty about the ‘existential’ climate threat melts away.” Mr. Will bases his article almost entirely on the opinions of physicist Steven E. Koonin. Interestingly, Marc A. Thiessen (also of the Washington Post) wrote a nearly identical article that relied heavily on Mr. Koonin inon May 17. Both Mr. Will and Mr. Thiessen have also written articles supporting climate science denial in the past. Koonin is the latest darling of climate science deniers, appearing on Fox News and other right-wing news outlets with scholarly-sounding arguments to support their point of view.

Koonin’s assertions, like those of other science deniers, have been widely debunked. It would be nice if Mr. Will and Mr. Thiessen had taken notice. Unfortunately, confirmation bias exists even for those articulate enough to write for the Washington Post. It would be even nicer if they were correct - that there is nothing to worry about with regards to climate change. Unfortunately, they are not.

No, humans are not "almost" totally to blame

 

“Are humans almost totally to blame for global warming?” This is the question posed by our local newspaper, the Post. The real answer is no, humans are not "almost" totally to blame, they are totally to blame, without qualification.

There is no debate. There's no question. Science has told us about this for forty years, and (confronted with reality) we're only now beginning to believe it. Too bad for humanity and the planet that it's taken so long. The debate needs to be about what we do about it.

Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report makes it clear that the consequences of our folly are and will continue to be dire. All we can do to mitigate the problem is to take action now to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, with the ultimate goal of getting them down to net zero.

Some say that this isn't possible, or that we can't afford it. These folks were wrong before (about whether it's happening and whether humans are the cause), and they're wrong now. It is possible, and although it will cost us, we can afford it. We can't afford not to.

What is the planet worth?