1. Why do we need to bother about climate change?
The Yangtze and Indus rivers both get much of their water from glacial meltwater. If those glaciers go bye-bye, then you have between one and two billion people, spread across three nuclear powers, facing freswater shortages.
That will not be pretty.
In terms of politics we have to overcome the power of vested interests and encourage our governments to promote more sustainable and energy efficient industries through progressive industrial policies, better waste management facilities, stricter building standards and codes, taxation incentives, and moving away from carbon fuels towards wind, hydro and solar energy technologies.
And stop privatising the energy sector. Not only does it lead to less reliable energy supply, it also encourages fuel-intensive energy sources (because private investors are wary of ponying up big start-up costs). Fuel-intensive, in this respect, means CO2-intensive.
In the short term some of these may cost more, but in the longer term they will enable a more sustainable and prosperous lifestyle for us all.
They actually don't.
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
