Climate Change Policy

Questions surrounding the issue of climate change are evolving from "e;Is it happening?"e; to "e;What can be done about it?"e; The primary obstacles to addressing it at this point are not scientific but political and economic; nonetheless a quick resolution is unlikely.Ignorance and confusion surrounding the issue -- including a lack of understanding of climate science, its implications for the environment and society, and the range of policy options available -- contributes to the political morass over dealing with climate change in which we find ourselves. Climate Change Policy addresses that situation by bringing together a wide range of new writings from leading experts that examine the many dimensions of the topics most important in understanding climate change and policies to combat it. Chapters consider:climate science in historical perspectiveanalysis of uncertainties in climate science and policythe economics of climate policyNorth-South and intergenerational equity issuesthe role of business and industry in climate solutionspolicy mechanisms including joint implementation, emissions trading, and the so-called clean development mechanismRegardless of the fate of the Kyoto Protocol, the issues raised in that debate will persist as new climate protection regimes emerge; this volume treats most of those topics. Tying the chapters together is a shared conclusion that climate change is a real and serious problem, and that we as a society have an obligation not merely to adapt to it but to mitigate it in whatever intelligent ways we can develop. Cost-effectiveness is not disdained, but neither is the imperative for valuing species threatened by rapid climate change.