quinta-feira, abril 15, 2004

Clima: investigadores americanos dão murro na mesa!

O editorial do mês de Março da revista Scientific American junta-se ao coro de protestos europeus contra a maneira como estão a ser geridas as questões climáticas do globo terrestre. A crítica à actual administração americana é severa:

If you still doubt that global warming is real and that humans contribute to it, read the article beginning on page 40. Its author, James Hansen of the NASA Godard Institute for Space Studies, is no doomsayer. (...) He sees undeniable signs of danger, especially from rising ocean levels, but he also believes that we can slow or halt global warming affordably - if we start the right away. Politically, that's the rub. As the time slips by, our leverage over the problem melts away. Even small reduction in gas and aerosol emissions today forestall considerable warming and damage in the long run. In our view, the international community needs a leader, but the obvious nation for the job still has its head in the sand.
President George W. Bush's administration implies that it will get more serious about global warming after further years of study determine the scope of the problem (tick...tick...tick). The Kyoto Protocol is the most internationally acceptable approach to a solution yet devised.
(...)
The only significant US activity in carbon dioxide trading now is at the state level. Ten northeastern states have established a regional initiative to explore such market. Meanwhile the administration sits on the sidelines. That's not good enough: it needs to show specific, decisive, meaningful leadership today.


"The Climate Leadership Vacuum", editorial de Março da Scientific American.

Por muita preocupação que mereça a luta contra a Al-Qaeda, este é o problema mais importante da actualidade. Como é um problema que pode trazer consequências nefastas para todas as formas de vida existentes na Terra, o mundo não se pode dar luxo de colocar nas mãos de irresponsáveis a resolução de problemas deste calibre. O conteúdo deste editorial é disso mesmo que trata.

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