The carbon dioxide precipice
Few recognize the magnitude of the threat climate change poses to our planet; some activists and scientists are trying to change that.It is time for more of us to step forward. By "us" I mean the growing number of thoughtful Americans who have recognized the threat of global warming but have tried not to worry about it too much or get involved. Even our president, who talks eloquently about the need to reduce our fossil-fuel consumption, initially rebuffed an environmental group's efforts to have the White House install solar panels (as detailed by Bill McKibben in his Sept. 16 Times Op-Ed article, "This is how they treat their friends?"). Sure, many of us have changed light bulbs and thermostats, and we drive fuel-efficient cars. We reduce, reuse, recycle and do countless other things to shrink our carbon footprint. But we have not yet admitted the size and complexity of the...