In early 1989, Senator Joe Biden sent some questions to GHWB Secretary of State James Baker, asking about US leadership on climate change. Here is how Baker responded. 
How things went off track from a promising beginning is quite a story & well told by Prins & Rayner 2007, in The Wrong Trousers sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/students/envs_…
A key Q to ask is: what ever happened to the IPCC's original "Response Strategies Working Group" (i.e., WG III, later "Economics" and then "Mitigation" moving away from policy options)?
The IPCC transitioned from informing the FCCC to advocating for it's instruments (esp Kyoto)
The IPCC transitioned from informing the FCCC to advocating for it's instruments (esp Kyoto)
Prins and Rayner adapted "The Wrong Trousers" into a 2007 piece in Nature: nature.com/articles/44997…
In it they anticipated:
Kyoto's failure
Importance of energy tech innovation
Adaptation
Importantly: the architecture of Paris 2015
It's still good advice in 2021
In it they anticipated:
Kyoto's failure
Importance of energy tech innovation
Adaptation
Importantly: the architecture of Paris 2015
It's still good advice in 2021
Back to Sec of State Baker's response to Sen Biden in 1989 ... just read this:
1. Uncertainty not an excuse for inaction
2. No-regrets policies ASAP
3. Cost-effectiveness
4. The Iron Law!
Today's NAS report says much the same:
nap.edu/catalog/25932/…
How'd we lose 30+ years?
1. Uncertainty not an excuse for inaction
2. No-regrets policies ASAP
3. Cost-effectiveness
4. The Iron Law!
Today's NAS report says much the same:
nap.edu/catalog/25932/…
How'd we lose 30+ years?
What is interesting about this history is that the policies that make the most sense to deal with climate change have been well understood for many decades
Yet it has only been very recently that these policies have emerged as acceptable (even preferred) among climate leaders
Yet it has only been very recently that these policies have emerged as acceptable (even preferred) among climate leaders
If today's @theNASEM report on decarbonization truly represents leading thinking on climate policy in 2021, we should all sleep easier knowing climate change is not just manageable, but ideas that will work are now at the forefront of policy discussions
nap.edu/read/25932
nap.edu/read/25932
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