The consensus is that climate change ranks along with nuclear warfare as the top two risks facing human civilization.
Graciela ChichilniskyTrying to conserve a privileged global position makes change traumatic for the US.
Graciela ChichilniskyThe new markets that arise from ecological constraints will dominate the 21st century economy, and so will markets for knowledge.
Graciela ChichilniskyCO2 from air can replace petroleum: it can produce plastics and acetate, it can produce carbon fibers that replace metals and clean hydrocarbons, such as synthetic gasoline. We can use CO2 to desalinate water, enhance the production of vegetables and fruit in greenhouses, carbonate our beverages and produce biofertilizers that enhance the productivity of the soil without poisoning it. Carbon negative technology is absolutely needed now.
Graciela ChichilniskyWe know that the warming rising seas will swallow entire island nations that are about 25 percent of the UN vote and perhaps at the end, even our civilization. This realization is traumatic and the first reaction to trauma is denial. Since there is some remaining scientific uncertainty, a natural response is to deny that change is occurring. This is natural but it is very dangerous.
Graciela Chichilnisky