Why should we act now?

Given such a large amount of uncertainty, then why should we act now?

1. The temperature curve alone:
   It is clear that temperatures are rising, and this rise is accelerating. If we are causing it, then simply extrapolate the trend into the future—a significant, rapid warming. Warming at this pace could have dangerous consequences.
2. The climate is undoubtedly changing:
   The most likely theory is that it is our fault primarily through CO₂ emissions. Thus, emitting carbon dioxide is a major RISK to our global safety. This remains true despite concerns over the lack of understanding of our planet, because we know that rapid warming of the Earth will not be evenly distributed, and therefore many regions will suffer (but yes, some will in fact prosper).
3. The risk is lagged:
   The system reacts at various speeds to forcing, and there are positive feedbacks that take time to occur. We (unfortunately) cannot wait to find out how far we can push the system or else it may be too late to prevent it from falling off a cliff—an irreversible climate shift. We just don’t know.

Even if you still don't agree...

Here are several non-global-warming reasons to support taking action:

1. It’s not natural:
   What took nature millions and millions of years to deposit into the ground we will burn in the matter of a couple of centuries. That is a frightening statement of how we have altered the Earth without the slightest clue of its consequences. Again, we just don’t know.
2. Ocean Acidification:
   This is a newer subject of concern. Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere means an increase in the amount of CO₂ entering the oceans, which increases the water’s acidity. This increasing acidity has been observed. Why is acidity a concern? Two reasons: First, plankton, algae and other animals suffer in more highly acidic water. Second, because higher acidity decreases the ability for many ocean-dwelling species to form their calcium carbonate (CaCO₂) shells. Furthermore, there is a threshold acidity level at which their shells in fact dissociate entirely, which won’t be reached in the near future, but possibly within the next 100 years.
3. Break the Oil Dependence:
   This is a matter of national security. We are currently highly dependent on a Middle East region that is incredibly volatile and not particularly trustworthy. Shifting our economy away from oil protects our country and, one could argue, may avert spurious wars.
4. Protect the Earth System:
   Humans have proliferated on Earth to a point at or very near the carrying capacity of the planet. That is to say, the planet has a finite number of resources, and we are now using those resources at a rate that the planet will struggle to replace. Human history has always maintained an assumption that the planet—on which we are totally dependent for survival—has infinite resources. However, we are reaching a new stage in history where we have a big enough influence on the system that we have the power to destroy it, with the obvious negative feedback against human survival. As stated before, we don’t know what we’re doing, and we are not somehow technologically “above” failings and collapses in the Earth’s system. Earth provides renewable resources; it’s in our best interest to ensure that those resources remain renewable for both the near and distant future.

What can we do as a society to help?

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