Making Global Warming Fight More Personal
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 4:21PM
Shaky world economies have forced global warming off the political agenda, but a new twist on the issue could revive its political fortunes.
The initial thrust of environmentalist action was aimed at carbon dioxide emissions, the greenhouse gas emissions generated by electrical plants and large industry. The specter of rising energy prices, factories closing down and workers being laid off dampened enthusiasm in Congress and state legislatures to adopt ideas such as "cap and trade" policies to reduce CO2 emissions.
Because CO2 hangs around in the atmosphere a long time, reductions now wouldn't produce a difference for what seemed like a political eternity.
Since the clock is still running on rising world temperatures, climate scientists and global warming warriors are looking for a new direction that can produce positive results with less political resistance. In an article published by Science, climate scientist Drew Shindell offers a potentially winning strategy.