Preface
With the writing of this preface, a long journey comes to an end, offering you
glimpses of beautiful views. At the end of 2017, the idea of writing this book was
conceived. One major motivation to write this book is the fact that the climate
change impact is increasingly attracting the world’s attention. Does this really
happen? If so, how much of it is because of human activity? How far will climate
change adaptation be possible? What action can or should we take to fight it? How
much is that going to cost? Or is it too late to take useful action already? This book
aims to provide answers to all these questions by providing the best and latest
available information.
The current generation’s primary concern is the undesirable changes taking place
in global warming and global climate and environment. There is nothing permanent. We all know that it is imminent to change. Why are we so alarmed by the
global climate change? Climate change writing often falls into one of two opposite
traps, both of which could be are avoided by applying the ideas of this book. This is
not a story of gloom and doom, of the inevitable catastrophe of the climate. On the
contrary, it outlines, in more detail than usual, what can and should be done to
prevent real disaster risks. It is also not, however, a story of complacent congratulations on “win-win” policies, cautiously incremental steps, and “green” policy
choices. It calls us to an endeavor worthy of the twenty-first century’s resources and
ingenuity, to bold initiatives with large costs—and far greater benefits. Climate
change has become, as well as one of the most dynamic, the defining environmental
legal and political challenge of the twenty-first century.
This book is written to help us make sense of the climate change discussion,
especially on the question of whether this problem can be solved. It is now widely
accepted that our climate has changed and will continue to change due to our
economy based on fossil fuel, our transformation of the surface of the planet, and
the increasing number of people and their growing wealth. Nevertheless, there is
increasing confusion about the solutions. Some people think the only way is to
drastically change our way of life. Give up our cars; give up our heating, no air
travel anymore. Return to the Middle Ages, some people think that in the near
future, technology will give us plenty of CO 2 -free energy at low cost. Others
v
With the writing of this preface, a long journey comes to an end, offering you
glimpses of beautiful views. At the end of 2017, the idea of writing this book was
conceived. One major motivation to write this book is the fact that the climate
change impact is increasingly attracting the world’s attention. Does this really
happen? If so, how much of it is because of human activity? How far will climate
change adaptation be possible? What action can or should we take to fight it? How
much is that going to cost? Or is it too late to take useful action already? This book
aims to provide answers to all these questions by providing the best and latest
available information.
The current generation’s primary concern is the undesirable changes taking place
in global warming and global climate and environment. There is nothing permanent. We all know that it is imminent to change. Why are we so alarmed by the
global climate change? Climate change writing often falls into one of two opposite
traps, both of which could be are avoided by applying the ideas of this book. This is
not a story of gloom and doom, of the inevitable catastrophe of the climate. On the
contrary, it outlines, in more detail than usual, what can and should be done to
prevent real disaster risks. It is also not, however, a story of complacent congratulations on “win-win” policies, cautiously incremental steps, and “green” policy
choices. It calls us to an endeavor worthy of the twenty-first century’s resources and
ingenuity, to bold initiatives with large costs—and far greater benefits. Climate
change has become, as well as one of the most dynamic, the defining environmental
legal and political challenge of the twenty-first century.
This book is written to help us make sense of the climate change discussion,
especially on the question of whether this problem can be solved. It is now widely
accepted that our climate has changed and will continue to change due to our
economy based on fossil fuel, our transformation of the surface of the planet, and
the increasing number of people and their growing wealth. Nevertheless, there is
increasing confusion about the solutions. Some people think the only way is to
drastically change our way of life. Give up our cars; give up our heating, no air
travel anymore. Return to the Middle Ages, some people think that in the near
future, technology will give us plenty of CO 2 -free energy at low cost. Others
v