Here’s the thing. The analysis is simple.
I don’t think I really need to justify this much more than that: three quadrants in that table are fine places to be, the fourth is really, really bad. Don’t be in the bottom left quadrant. The only way to be sure we aren’t in the bottom left quadrant is to be in the top row: we must act.
The argument against action is that we are in the top right quadrant: action would harm companies needlessly. There’s some truth to that. However, we would also be creating entire new industries, so even in the worst case, the harm is considerably overstated.
Of course, the real problem with that argument is that the evidence strongly suggests that the world we live in is actually in the left column: climate change is real. As such, no matter the cause, we need to do what we can to combat it. But since there are a bunch of people who seem eager to remain ignorant, I’ll share some data for you. The historical record is unambiguous. There’s been a recent and extreme rise in global temperatures.
Since we started measuring in the 1880s, the surface temperature of the globe has skyrocketed:
Global temperature is strongly correlated with carbon dioxide levels. We’ve been dumping tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
And, if you’re in the mood, this wonderful little graphic from XKCD paints a strong picture.
…but, you know. The climate always changes, right? Let’s go to McDonald’s.
