The High Costs of Doing Nothing

Get used to people saying we can't afford to act on global warming and other urgent ecological issues. Then get used to gently pointing out the absurdity of the argument.

Let's leave aside the fact that our future economic vibrancy is likely to depend on taking a leadership role in green technology. One look at how the US auto industries fierce resistance of moving to more fuel efficient cars has left them in such terrible shape should prove ample warning that getting behind the greener technology curve is simply bad economics and bad business.

The fact is, the costs of not dealing with climate change, and in fact a host of other core environmental issues including biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and toxins in the environment, are incalculably higher than the cost associated with doing something. While we can't link any particular weather event, such as the current flooding in the midwest, to global warming, we can recognize our future in them. Climate change is already shifting our weather patterns. We are likely to see greater deluges, such as these storms, combined with more droughts. Rising ocean surface temperatures will bring stronger storm and more severe weather. Flooding like this and that experienced by New Orleans during Katrina will be the result. The human and economic costs of events like these are enormous. We need to shift how we look at the costs of things. First by improving our infrastructure, the decline of which played key roles in the devastating impact of these events. Then by recognizing we can't afford to not act on climate change.

UPDATED: More on the harm from coming climate change here.