By Bill Barnes
Why should we care about climate change? Don't we have other things to worry about, like keeping unemployment low, helping the poor, fighting AIDS worldwide? Yes, yes and yes. And yet we should still care deeply about the growing risk of between three and 10 degrees or more of global warming in the next 100 years. It is intimately connected to our long run economic and human health.
Of course, those of us immersed in this issue have heard all of the arguments against strong action today to mitigate global warming. The earth is not heating up. It's not our fault - it is natural carbon dioxide emissions. The climate is a complex system and can't really be predicted with any accuracy. It's too expensive to take drastic action today and the damage to future generations won't be all that bad (and we'll all adapt as a species).
If you read the Internet or watch the news, the debate on climate change (still!) often seems alive and well. But this is not a he said/she said or 50-50 debate. This is fundamentally a scientific issue, and if you look at the issue carefully, it is more like a 90+ to one debate.
Peer reviewed, non-industry associated climate scientists are collectively saying: The risk of serious global warming this century is very real, and we are a part of the problem. (For the "go to" site on climate science, try www.realclimate.org). As for the consequences, the basic message in the science is this: There is a very large risk that the negative economic, social and ecological impacts of warming will far outweigh any positive impacts.
One way to sum this up is by asking a question: Can we afford to risk that the majority of scientists are wrong? Does it make sense to do this?
I think the answer is no. Given that the science is telling us we need to act now, not later, we need to act now. Translating this into econspeak, it might go something like this: Let's be prudent! Let's take out insurance against catastrophic risk by acting today. Do we drive without insurance?
We should also note that this is fundamentally a moral issue: Future generations deserve our respect, and the way to do this is to acknowledge the risk and to work towards a more sustainable approach to our economic affairs.
So, what DO we do?
First, just start with things that are obvious and personal. As consumers and businesses are discovering, this doesn't have to be grim. Lowering your "carbon footprint" can be fun and economical. Use compact fluorescents and watch your bills fall. Ride your bike, get in shape, save gas and enjoy the view. Buy a (cheaper) smaller car and dart around town. Buy and eat local (tastier) food. Unplug your house electric "vampires" like cell phone chargers. Buy less stuff, save more cash. Invest it in green companies. Reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order.
Second, start educating yourself about the broader picture (yes, I realize it is abstract and overwhelming, but everyone is in this boat). Remember that local action is not enough.
This problem is so big that it requires national and international coordination. Although the momentum for change is growing, we need to think carefully about what kinds of changes are required to truly address the problem. This requires an ability to follow national and state policy debates in order to influence them.
We should be proud of our campus education efforts on climate change solutions in the last year; students, faculty, staff and administrators are really stepping up and making a commitment. This year the University of Portland and many other schools across the country are participating in the "Focus the Nation" project. Focus the Nation is fundamentally about how to convert from apprehension to action. All of us can play a part by bringing our own expertise and energy to the table. For more information on Focus the Nation, go to www.focusthenation.org. For more on our campus efforts, events and activities, sign up for our UP climate change learning resource site at ?https://learning.up.edu/moodle/course/view.php?id=6679.
So, involve your friends, spread the word, link up with interested groups and share information. Remember, this is not a partisan issue. This is a people (and planet) issue. You know ... the big picture.
Bill Barnes is an economics professor.
