In the latest communication from NASA scientist James Hansen to his subscribers, he said he has given a recent talk at the Club of Rome in Amsterdam, Netherlands, titled “Global Warming Time Bomb“. His presentation begins, “Global warming IS a time bomb.
“There may still be time to defuse it, but that requires policy-makers to take the actions that are needed, not the ineffectual actions they are discussing.” He means the climate/jobs/energy legislation in Congress, for which he has obvious disdain due to its inability to slow down climate change quickly enough. Dr. Hansen wrote in his presentation:
He also revealed that he will be involved in some activism soon in Massachusetts, that you can get involved in too. (See the bottom of this post). In his presentation he wrote:
“Despite the publicity that global warming has received, there is a large gap between what is understood by the relevant scientific community, and what is known by the people who need to know, the public and policymakers Global warming is small compared to day-to-day weather fluctuations, so it is hard for people to recognize that we have a crisis – but we do.
The climate system has great inertia, caused, e.g., by the 4-kilometer-deep ocean and the thick ice sheets on Antarctica and Greenland – they have only partly responded to the humanmade changes of atmospheric composition. But that inertia is not our friend – it is a Trojan horse – by the time the public notices that change is underway the momentum of the climate system may be sufficient to guarantee much larger changes. The climate system can pass tipping points, such that large change continues out of our control. The bad news is that we have already passed into a dangerous range of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The good news is that if we act smart and promptly it is still feasible to achieve a safe level of atmospheric gases, and the actions needed to achieve that would have multiple benefits in addition to climate stability.”
He also explains ice sheet melting and the process. He also discusses more of how the current legislation will not be enough, fast enough.
You can download the PDF at the link above.
Hansen ended this presentation with suggestions:
Most cultures believe that we have a fiduciary responsibility to turn over to future generations a planet in as good a condition as we received from our parents. If Larry King’s impression of the public is right, young people and the planet may have little hope. Our present governments are certainly not going to be the answer. The public, young people especially, must become involved and demand more.
and finally,
1. Dialogue with Governments, but:
Their Perspective is Short-Term
Undue Sway of Money (lobbyists)
2. Courts
Common law – We are enjoying use of
property that belongs to others
3. Public Protests and Actions
Seem Necessary, Are Growing
But Public has Other Concerns
Translation: Governments think short term and are obsessed with economics above all else. We could use the courts to prove that the climate and planet are owned by the public, by common law, and governments and corporations cannot own parts of the planet to the detriment of the rest of us. And finally, public protests are necessary but the public is not being informed by the media adequately, and we are all worried about the economy, jobs, survival, and health care. There is little room left over for worrying about climate change. This is where all of us come in!
Hansen writes:
“I am going to Boston this week-end to participate in a student-led public action. Main activity: a “sleep-out” outside the Massachusetts State House, by students who refuse to sleep in dorms/apartments powered by coal-fired electricity. They are not blaming the state legislature for the climate mess that young people are inheriting, but Massachusetts should be a leader in taking steps to solve the problem.
If you are in the neighborhood, your presence would be more than welcome. So far, it has been mostly students, but the support needs to grow. You can find information on their web site . There is a likelihood of a summons for trespassing for
those participating in the sleep-out. That’s a misdemeanor – the penalty is not likely to exceed $50, as it is public property – but I would welcome the chance to defend their action in court. Plans are being made for a hearing in the Massachusetts Senate at 10 AM on Monday, chaired by Senator Marc Pacheco, Chairman of the Massachusetts Senate Global Warming Committee. I will try to help make the case that Massachusetts could be leader, as they were at the time of our nation’s founding. The nature of the present discussions in Washington and Copenhagen show that such leadership, onto a course that would actually work, is desperately needed. Massachusetts could provide a tipping point.
It’s a shame that this goes ignored by policy makers. They really need to listen to what they are told too. I watched something on polar bears with my son and it’s so sad too because the wildlife is suffering too.