Let's meet the challenge

The uncertainty

Although we know that climate will change, the magnitude and rate of this change are not known. The resulting costs and benefits are also unknown. Why should we act?

Why aren't we acting?

People tend to respond best to immediate crises. But what if:

• a bad situation unfolds in slow motion,
• the most serious impacts are decades away,
• the issue is so complex, it's hard to pinpoint cause and effect,
• the cause of the problem is invisible,
• we assume someone else is working on a solution, and
• many people don't believe there is a problem.

The risks

The risks are high. We may be facing unprecedented changes in climate that will affect how we live.

Better safe than sorry!

We need to proceed cautiously when our actions may have long-term negative consequences. Shouldn't we reduce greenhouse-gas emissions now to lessen the negative impacts of climate change in the future? The longer we wait to take action, the fewer options we may have for dealing with climate change.

Action

By reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions, we can slow the rate and eventual magnitude of climate change. But we will also have to adapt, because some climate change is now inevitable.

Who, me?

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that has."
Margaret Mead
anthropologist

Necessity is the mother of invention

Our climate crisis has created a demand for good ideas that will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions - new technologies, alternative energy sources, progressive government policies, and lifestyle choices. We can be innovators at home, where we work, in the marketplace, and within our communities. It's up to us!