Eco-nomics: U.S. picks poor time to reverse climate effort

By Paul Roberts / For The Herald

With apologies to Star Wars enthusiasts, there’s been a disturbance in the Force. Well, actually, more than one.

First, as reported in the Washington Post, global warming has effectively reached the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) established in the Paris accords as the desired upper limit for global temperature rise. According to the World Meteorological Organization concentrations of carbon dioxide are now growing faster than at any time since our species evolved, and 2024 will probably be the hottest year in recorded history.

Levels of potent greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide hit all-time highs in 2023. The total heat-trapping potential of the atmosphere is now 51.5 percent higher than in 1990, when the United Nations scientists first warned the world was on track for catastrophic climate change.

“This should set alarm bells ringing among decision makers” WMO Secretary General Celeste Saul said in a statement. “Every part per million and every fraction of a degree temperature increase has a real impact on our lives and our planet.” Rising temperatures result in more frequent, intense and costly weather events. The costs are measured in terms of lives and destruction.

Second, the election of Donald Trump as president will likely reverse U.S. gains made fighting climate change. In his first term, he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate accords, promoted expansion of fossil fuels, claimed wind turbines cause cancer and insisted he could redirecti the path of a hurricane with a Sharpie.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/eco-nomics-u-s-picks-poor-time-to-reverse-climate-efforts/