In
the absence of any concrete action to combat climate change, what can be
done? Perhaps it is useful to
examine again
why the effort to combat ozone depletion has been so successful. The key ingredients are still largely
missing when
it comes to the climate change issue.
(1)
We need to generate more sound science on climate change. There is a very effective mechanism in
place to bring new scientific findings to the attention of policy makers: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC).
(2) We need to come up with economically-viable alternatives
to fossil fuel burning. This
could involve energy conservation and efficiency measures, alternative energy sources, carbon
sequestration, or perhaps most effective, some combination of these three.
(3) We need to envision a truly global
agreement where everyone makes commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.