Scientists can help in planet's carbon cut

Human-made climate change and air pollution were both preventable. We scientists bear a special responsibility that they were not, as we had knowledge 25 years ago that should have allowed climate change and air pollution to be manageable problems, not tragedies. However, we failed to communicate the implications well enough with political leaders and we did not achieve effective action. The onus is on us to try harder now, because it is still possible to minimize the effects of climate change and it is possible to solve the air pollution problem.

If we continue to burn fossil fuels as we are, the carbon dioxide added to the air will have enormous effects. Sea levels will rise many meters, submerging hundreds of coastal cities, including Shanghai. Hundreds of millions of refugees will be driven from the coastal regions and island nations. Many of the world's species will be exterminated by shifting climate zones that amplify other human-made stresses. Summer heatwaves, droughts and fires will be more extreme. Rain, when and where it occurs, will be heavier and floods will be more devastating. Storms will be stronger.

Scientists informed political leaders decades ago that carbon-free energies must be phased in to replace fossil fuels. Carbon-free energies include hydropower, renewable energies such as solar and wind power, and nuclear power. However, they are not without their drawbacks. Hydropower is limited, renewable energies are intermittent and nuclear energy creates nuclear waste and comes with the risk of a possible accident.