Hot House

Paul Krugman (via Yglesias) on why we cannot wait to address global warming. When you take into account the normal up-and-down fluctuations, the upward trend in average temperatures is unmistakable. And the problem compounds exponentially each year as more and more CO2 is introduced into the atmosphere. There just isn't any time to waste.



As alluded to in my post on the passage of Waxman-Markey, this effort requires not just legislative action in the U.S., but also a worldwide effort. Most projected growth in CO2 emissions comes from developing countries, principally China, India and the Middle East. One of the keys to addressing the problem will be how Western nations, including and most significantly the U.S., use their leadership and influence to bring the developing world along. Bringing the world along requires credibility on the issue, which requires that we do something (even if that something is imperfect). Because without the rest of the world, nothing we do at home can succeed.