Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University, said at a United Nations press briefing last month that with rising sea levels, drought or excess precipitation and stronger hurricanes, climate change is no longer a dubious issue. The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, of which Oppenheimer was an author, declared that global warming is "unequivocal" and that human activity has played a significant role in these changes.
According to Oppenheimer, a series of certain events over the past few years sparked an increasing interest in climate change, among governments and civil society. Particularly in the United States, Hurricane Katrina not only forced people to take notice of extreme weather, but also revealed to them "the ineptitude of government," said Oppenheimer. The inadequate preparation and response to Hurricane Katrina and its disastrous effects drew people's attention to the fact that we are not protected from or impervious to climate change, and our government is not prepared for the havoc it may inflict upon our society.
Another event that has called people's attention to the issue is the energy crisis and the evident dangers of our dependence on fossil fuels. The melting of arctic ice has also become a topic of interest and has been widely publicized by the media, causing many people to better educate themselves on the issue of climate change.
Furthermore, former Vice President Al Gore has contributed to greater awareness of the climate change crisis through his film and work. Thus, global warming has become a prevalent concern.
We will soon be entering what Oppenheimer refers to as a "post-Kyoto phase," which will hopefully build and improve upon the somewhat limited success of the Kyoto Protocol - a treaty hindered by a lack of participation on the part of the United States and Australia.
Europe, on the other hand, has presented a more encouraging picture, as many European nations will likely meet their objectives by the end of this phase.
Oppenheimer hopes the United States will soon play a greater role in the fight against global warming by implementing a more significant domestic program.
"I anticipate that whoever the next president is, this will be one of the first things that gets done," Oppenheimer says. He explains that the main obstacle to dealing with climate change is neither economic nor technological. It is political.
The world community is beginning to take this problem seriously, recognizing that those who will be most critically affected by climate change are those with the least capability to deal with it.
Rising sea levels and higher temperatures will threaten many species and will lead to a great loss of biodiversity. It will also lead to a scarcity of water and to starvation in many poorer countries.
Nations like China are now making greater attempts to deal with the issue.
Recognizing its high vulnerability along the coast, as well as the dangers of fossil fuels, China has a developing non-governmental organization sector, which is making notable progress in preparing for and trying to prevent future problems.
In fact, non-governmental organizations working with the United Nations have been crucial to the transformation of climate change into the "globally pervasive question that it is today," says Oppenheimer. In September, the United Nations' department of public information and non-governmental organizations plans to hold its 60th annual conference, which will focus on climate change.
Although some are beginning to find global warming a tiresome subject, it is an important issue and an issue that must be acted upon. As Oppenheimer explains, "We have the ability to turn this thing around."
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