Global Warming Is Reaching a Critical Point.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a panel of experts appointed by the United Nations, has just completed a draft report on climate change. The report has not yet been officially released, but it was leaked to the press last month, according to the New York Times.

The report allegedly says, among other things, that the world’s leading countries have done so little to solve the global warming that within 15 years the world will begin to experience vast ecological and economic damage. At that point, the problem of excessive CO2 emissions will be so overwhelming that existing technologies for capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it underground will not be sufficient to correct the problem. New technologies will be needed. The economic burden of developing these new technologies is likely to be borne by future generations.

The IPCC shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 (with Al Gore) for its work in trying to understanding and publicizing global warming. It’s most recent analysis needs to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, the political will necessary to solve global warming still seems to be lacking.