Missed the Bus. (Twice) 206

Our National Academy of Science represents our brightest minds. Below are the NAS presidents’ words of encouragement on the 29th of October 2021 just prior to the Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

“The reality of the climate change crisis demands an urgent and ambitious global response. The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland presents a historic opportunity to agree on emissions reduction targets to avoid the most intolerable impacts.

For decades, climate change scientists have warned, with increasing certainty and growing alarm, that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are rapidly warming the Earth. That warming is contributing to devastating impacts on human health, ecosystems, infrastructure, and global security — impacts that are now acute and getting worse, especially for poor and marginalized populations. Because today’s emissions will cause warming for decades to come, many future impacts are unavoidable.

Advances in science, engineering, and medicine are delivering solutions to reduce emissions and adapt to unavoidable impacts. These tools — which can and should be deployed now — can help the world meet the COP26 goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and limit warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, thus preserving a more sustainable future for our planet. We must also ensure that efforts aimed at mitigation and adaptation are equitable and provide support for those who will be most affected.

We strongly concur with the COP26 goal of bringing together governments, business, and civil society to accelerate collective action, and we believe that global collaboration in science, engineering, and medicine — which has long been a hallmark of our Academies — will be integral to this endeavor. We are encouraged by the world’s attention to the climate crisis, and we are confident that collaboration and innovation will continue to deliver solutions to one of the most serious threats of our time.”

Marcia McNutt
President, National Academy of Sciences

John L. Anderson
President, National Academy of Engineering

Victor J. Dzau
President, National Academy of Medicine

Unfortunately, the smartest people on the planet were ignored.

More recently Build Back Better was the Biden Administration’s effort to bring the United States back into our role as the world leader on climate. The United States has failed, but not because President Biden lacked vision. He did, the vision he has is one which is supported by the science community.

We are what the three science presidents referred to as, “civil society”. The power to act, in a democracy, emanates from an educated pro-active civil society. A civil society, when needed,  mobilizes with top notch climate organizations like Protect Our Winters,  Citizens Climate Lobby, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

No one knows with certainty when the day will come when we have no more buses to catch.

The scientists and engineers have not given up: Next week’s title is “Get it Out!” and is about the engineers of three carbon capture companies. They are engineers who are driven to bring the carbon dioxide levels down to survival levels.

 

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