Unfortunately, there's a lot of people in high places who understand the science but don't like where the policy leads them: too much government control.

You get a series of super-typhoons into Shanghai and millions of people die. Does the population there lose faith in Chinese government? Does China start to fissure? I'd prefer to deal with a rising, dominant China any day.

If you start getting instability in large powers with nuclear weapons, that's not a good day.

Politicians have responsibility to act if the public opinion changes.

We need to start prioritizing people, not polar bears. We're probably less adaptable than them, anyway. The farther you are from the Beltway, the more you can have a conversation about climate no matter how people vote. I never try to politicize the issue.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of people in high places who understand the science but don't like where the policy leads them: too much government control.

Most people out there are just trying to keep their job and provide for their family. If climate change is now a once-in-a-mortgage problem, and if food prices start to spike, people will pay attention.