Unstoppable

I just read the book Unstoppable by Bill Nye - the Science Guy.

Its main point is that it is time to deal with climate change. He outlines a lot of different technologies we could try - and that we must try all of them. I really don't see how any thinking person could deny that our climate is changing.

He mentions something I've said for a while, that we're essentially conducting experiments that are affecting the climate on our one planet - we're being bad homeowners. I've put it that I don't think we should be building explosives in the living room.

He also said that the regulations being proposed now are a lot easier than what it will take later. He said it like this:

"For those of you who might be skeptical of my optimism, I have to point out that if you don't much care for regulation now you might be in for a hard time. As climate change causes sea levels to rise, more and more people are going to get displaced. More and more people are going to want to come live where you are living-or worse, you will be among those forced to do the moving. Cities are going to need storm walls; farmers will need compensation to relocate their fields. If you think action on behalf of climate change is expensive, just wait until you see the price of inaction. Regulations will be required sooner or later, but if we wait until things reach crisis level they will be a lot more onerous. There may be requirements to restrict your use of gasoline. Requirements that restrict your access to proteins, such as steak and fish. Regulators watching what you put in the trash. There may be limits on shipping and air travel. And by then, your neighbors will probably be votirg for these regulations. The environmental and just plain cash-money costs will be staggering the longer we go without getting going.

The more time that goes by with us screwing around not doing anything about climate change, and especially not leading the world in addressing the short- and medium-term consequences of climate change, the more The Man is going to be in your business. But it doesn't have to be this way. You could participate. You could be The Man-or The Woman. You can help lead. Together we can change
the world. "

Bill Nye, Unstoppable, page 319 of the hardcover book