The Case for Clumsiness

• Main Authors: Thompson, Michael, Verweij, Marco
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2004
• Subjects: Political Science
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/25; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/1024/viewcontent/CaseforClumsiness_2004_wp_Verweij.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Most climatologists agree that by burning fossil fuels and engaging in other forms of consumption and production we are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases that float around in the atmosphere. These gases, in trapping some of the sun’s heat, warm the earth and enable life. The trouble is, some predict, that if we continue to accumulate those gases, over the course of the new century the average temperature on earth will rise and local climates will change, with possibly catastrophic consequences. Will this indeed happen? If so, should we do something about it? And if yes, what and when? Does climate change put the future of the world at risk? Can only a radical reallocation of global wealth and power rescue us from this threat? Or should people not be overly worried, as the steady march of technological progress will see us through in the end?