Editor and General Manager
Headlines today, November 30th: Beijing is experiencing its worst air pollution of the year. With Beijing, that’s saying something. Accompanying photos show shadowy people wearing face masks slogging through what looks like heavy ground fog.
While officials in China were issuing warnings about the extreme pollution levels—even urging residents to stay indoors—the Paris climate change talks were underway. Will poisoning a city help spur some action? Not that China alone is to blame, not by a long shot. I imagine there is internal debate in China, much as in the U.S. It’s just not public, and its nature remains hidden.
Here in the U.S., opponents of action to mitigate climate change seem to be coming around. Any change on their part, even if the pace is glacial, is welcomed. Now, if they would accelerate revising their opinions to the speed of ice sheet melt, real progress might be made. They may even start listening to those impertinent, irritating climate scientists at some point.