“We know that rapid warming of the planet increases the risk of crossing climatic points of no return,” the scientists state. “The climatic consequences of exceeding such thresholds are not confined to the next one or two electoral cycles. They have lifetimes of many thousands of years. The political system also has tipping points. Thus it is of great concern that the Republican nominee for President has advocated U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Accord. (…) The United States can and must be a major player in developing innovative solutions to the problem of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Nations that find innovative ways of decarbonizing energy systems and sequestering CO2 will be the economic leaders of the 21st century. Walking away from Paris makes it less likely that the U.S. will have a global leadership role, politically, economically, or morally. We cannot afford to cross that tipping point.“
The letter reflects the spirit of the National Academy’s founder, former US President Abraham Lincoln, Schellnhuber says. “Lincoln wanted science to serve the common good, and this is precisely the intention of my colleagues who initiated this letter. In Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical, which I had the honor to present in the Vatican last year, faith is the dominant element. Our letter now is the voice of reason. So faith and reason combine to demand action for stabilizing the climate system, on which humanity depends.”
Weblink to the open letter: http://responsiblescientists.org/
