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BOB HIRSHON (host):
The economy of climate change. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
To encourage discussion on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while boosting the economy, Harvard oceanographer James McCarthy and his colleagues have released a report titled The Economic Case for Climate Action. It lays out both an argument for action, and steps that could be economically viable—like boosting windpower in Midwestern states.
JAMES MCCARTHY (Harvard University):
There are savings associated with doing the right thing here in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diminishing the likelihood of severe climate change impacts in the future, because it makes good business sense for other reasons.
HIRSHON:
They also suggest more controversial options, like nuclear power and advanced carbon capture technologies for fossil fuels. But beyond the specifics, they offer the paper as a step toward moving on from debating climate change to discussing measures to manage it. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.
Story by Bob Hirshon