Intractability of Climate Change

The continuous accumulation of GHGs and the steady rise in temperatures, despite scientific warnings about their scale and consequences, bear testimony to the intractability of the climate problem. In the wake of an uptick in hazards of nature, climate change is accepted as a reality by most, but its root in human activity is only occasionally named. Climate solutions call for disaster liability to be placed on the promoters of fossil fuels, be they governments or businesses—who do not come clean for fear of losing business, and even mislead the public, as the oil industry has done for decades with reference to fossil fuels. Solutions will be helped by establishing clear accountability for the emissions and responsibility for cleanup and mitigation. Policymakers, economic advisors, the media, and weather reporters need to inform public opinion on the underlying causes of the climate crisis in real time—as disasters mount.