> Certainly cutting emissions 90 percent overnight is theoretically
> possible. Hell, cutting emissions 100 percent instantly is
> theoretically possible. What bothers me is the public disconnect
> between what the scientific community says is necessary (say, a global
> 50% emissions reduction relative to 1990 levels by 2050) and what is
> politically feasible.
Economic cost-benefit analyses don't say that 50% is optimal, let
alone "necessary". And what does that word mean anyway? To me it seems
that this comes from scientists who see say species loss or long term
sea level rise as possible problems, then argue from that that some
temperature target should be met, and then work out what emissions
reduction should follow, often it seems to me, on the premise that
fossil fuel emissions should be reduced in any case and that therefore
there is no real cost, or not much of one.
Now, if "necessary" had some real teeth, why shouldn't WWII type
mobilisation be appropriate?
To me it seems that the current response is broadly reasonable, and
that if there is a disconnect, it's between rhetoric about what should
be done, and what people really believe should be done. And the reason
there isn't WWII type mobilisation isn't that climate change is
gradual, or that people can't look ahead properly. I am very dubious
that these explanations make much sense. I think it's rather simple.
People haven't been convinced that the issue is sufficiently serious
to require WWII mobilisation type of attention, or anything coming
vaguely close to it.
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