Dire UN Climate Reports Raise Questions About Global Willpower
A pivotal year ahead in climate diplomacy looks likely, spurred by the IPCC's global warming reports.
A trio of United Nations-sponsored climate reports released over the past seven months point to a dangerously warming planet, but big questions remain about whether the world's nations will take action and, ultimately, about whether the reports will matter. (See "Battle Plan for Climate Change.")
On Sunday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its third major climate assessment, rounding out a process that began in September and plays out every seven years.
The reports indicate that sharp greenhouse gas emissions cuts worldwide need to begin now, with a 40 percent to 70 percent reduction by mid-century, to avert the worst effects of climate change.
"We cannot play a waiting game where we bet on future technological miracles to
