Climate Change Policies Failing, NASA Scientist Warns Obama

[babylonsister]

Climate Change Policies Failing, NASA Scientist Warns Obama
Award-winning researcher James Hansen says new president's rhetoric must be backed by action

by James Randerson


Current approaches to deal with climate change are ineffectual, one of the world's top climate scientists said today in a personal new year appeal to Barack Obama and his wife Michelle on the urgent need to tackle global warming.

With less than three weeks to go until Obama's inauguration, Prof James Hansen, head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, asked the recently appointed White House science adviser Prof John Holdren to pass the missive directly to the president-elect.

Obama spoke repeatedly during his campaign about the need to tackle climate change, and environmentalists fervently hope he will live up to his promises to pursue green policies.

The letter, from Hansen and his wife Anniek, is a personal plea to the first couple. It begins: "We write to you as fellow parents concerned about the Earth that will be inherited by our children, grandchildren, and those yet to be born ... Jim has advised governments previously through regular channels. But urgency now dictates a personal appeal."

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/01/01-0

[azul]

1. What sacrifices would be realistic?

"But urgency now dictates a personal appeal."

Does one care enough for the children's or perhaps even grandchildren's future enough to give up the beefsteak and BMW? Change one may think about believing in, but ultimately unable to stomach?

Apathetic and hedonistic enough by nature to obstruct remedial progress, when, like today one could be eating Lotsaburger-not, and tomorrow be driving a BuildYourDreams ev?

One votes for the products and influences the game with the pocketbook. If only the playing field weren't so biased toward quick bucks and un-sustainability, sanity might rule the day.

[Posteritatis]

2. The problem is the number of people who consider *any* sacrifice unrealistic

That's why I assume most conservatives and pretty much all libertarians make a show of denying climate change - if it was true, they might have to do something, and that conflicts with memememeism.

[dysfunctional press]

8. easy for you to say- you've got a computer.

most people in the world don't.

which group is the more responsible one, planet-sustainability-wise?

:shrug:

[salguine]

3. We have climate change policies?

[machI]

6. Now is a good time to implement a few

With the Government supplying cash to American automobile makers, there should be some strings attached to that money.

To start with, GM and Chrysler need to be told to only sell the SUVs to people who really need them. Everyone else should get basic transportation, not a rolling armored vehicle with more luxury than Arnold Schwarzenegger's living room.

We need to stop the blatant status symbol of the big car that extracts a price from future generation's environment.

[dysfunctional press]

4. society is not going to change until it is WAY too late- if it isn't already.

the really spectacularly catastrophic kind of stuff that will make people sit up and take notice- won't happen until it's WAY too late to do anything about it.

more and more every day, i'm glad that we decided not to have kids.

[azul]

5. The world's loss if conscience is inherited.

You sound like a conscientious objector to unnecessary suffering. There is a competition, however, to like breed a stable human population that respects all life, or the opposite. And people of conscience and personal responsibility seem to be falling behind in this respect.

IMHO, society has let too many unethical offsprings become adults without a fitness test and ceremony to assure quality. And so we are edging closer and closer to the tyranny of the selfish masses. Or at least edging closer to tyranny of those that can manipulate the selfish masses.

Peace a chance?

[dysfunctional press]

7. "...edging closer and closer to the tyranny of the selfish masses"??

ummm- we're already there, and have been for awhile.

[Joe the Liberal]

9. Sad but true......

People only start giving a shit when something starts to directly affect their lives. By the time climate change starts to affect peoples lives directly it will already be way too late. Sure you can talk all about "we're going to solve this climate crisis blah blah blah" but in the end that all it is, just talk. Unless there is enough follow through the talk is pointless.

[dysfunctional press]

11. the people simply wouldn't stand for the draconian measures that would be necessary.

if we had to ban the internal combustion engine in cars tomorrow- next month- next january 1...how would people react?

we're goin' DOWN as a dominant species.

but it should be a pretty fuckin' wild ride.

[opihimoimoi]

10. Whar are we moping about for....??? There are many solutions out there without real PAIN that we can

implement....

There Farms to be built that suck C02 and produce 02....Spanish Moss is 0ne....

There are solutions to live with less energy...way less. and still have our Fun we are addicted to...and comfort too...

But we are small...only a few of us...we need more to come join us....

We want to urge Humanity the Time is NOW...the urgency could not be more pressing....ice melting, oceans rising...etc etc

We have the answers...we need the support...

We need Obama....