X
Government

What's written in the international climate change reports

Do some governments have a heavy hand on the climate change reports issued by the IPCC? That's the charge from some environmental groups.
Written by Harry Fuller, Contributor

Do some governments have a heavy hand on the climate change reports issued by the IPCC? That's the charge from some environmental groups. Here's what one lead sauthor of those reports, an American scientist, has to say about that charge. Essentially, not true. The broad acceptance of those IPCC reports, especially in the U.S. and Chinese ruling circles will lead to wider adoption of green tech, carbon pricing, emission controls, etc. STANDARD BOILER PLATE This verbiage will now be attached to any blog I do about global warming. It’s amazing to me that somebody who can apparently read and then post comments still wonders in public why global warming matters on a technology web site. But I am naive, always assuming everybody’s paying attention. It’s because of money. If global warming has enough acceptance among corporations, the public and even pols, there will be more money spent on green tech, wisely or unwisely. If oil prices stay low and most people don’t care a fig about global warming, green tech will have a difficult time succeeding, regardless of its merits. Not every good idea succeeds. VCs usually invest where they think there’s best chance for a good return. In greentech as in any tech the winners will often be determined by luck, brilliance, timing, happenstance and even marketing. Behind it all will be the money and behind that: whether the evidence for global warming and curtailing pollution drive action or is written off as claptrap.

Editorial standards