It is important to be realistic about Earth’s climate future. It will be impossible to prevent all suffering related to climate changes because there are people and organisms that are already suffering. But the worst effects can be avoided by making smart, evidence-based decisions.
Watch this video, which describes the importance of acting today to improve the future. After you watch, respond to the prompts in the Take Notes section.
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JOHN HOLDREN, Harvard University: You know, there are some people who say, “Well, the future of climate change is too uncertain to justify action today.” But in fact, the largest uncertainty about future of climate change is what we decide to do.
KATHARINE HAYHOE, Texas Tech University: In terms of how temperature is going to change, what’s going to happen to our drought and our flood patterns, how much sea levels are going to rise, one of the biggest uncertainties are what are the choices that we are making today.