The case for optimism on climate change

Things look bad, but they could change quickly

Wind farm
(Image credit: (Micha Pawlitzki/Corbis))

A very straightforward read of the science and the facts on climate change leads to the conclusion that the world is careening towards disaster. To stay under the international agreement of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius, we must peak our emissions very soon (as in, next year) and start cutting them drastically immediately after. It would be a worldwide effort on a par with the World War II mobilization, if not greater.

But we're not doing that. World emissions are rising, and fast. Thus Ezra Klein writes:

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.