National Academy of Sciences member Kerry Emanuel of MIT felt compelled to explain his views on climate change, risk assessments and the debates rekindled by climate deniers and nuclear deniers following the publication of Michael Shellenberger's Apocalypse Never, which bore a review blurb from Emanuel.
Just as it is difficult to have a rational discussion about reducing Covid-19 risks for the broader community when some people are shouting about their right to not wear a mask, the climate debate has been greatly hampered by noisy extremists. Rather than finding any value in the debates about the uncertainties, debates about impacts, or debates about best solutions, Emanuel urges us to "step out of the fray" and take a hard look at the risks. It is worthwhile to invest in mitigating the risks to avert the worst case scenarios and improve on other metrics of health and happiness, just as rational people do with every other type of serious risk they are exposed to.
Read Kerry Emanuel's thought provoking statement published with a foreward by Editor, Bud Ward, at Yale Climate Connections: "Apocalypse Maybe," by Dr. Kerry Emanuel.