In “Momentum on Climate Pact Is Elusive” (New York Times, 9/21/09) science reporter Andrew Revkin discusses the relative stability of temperatures over the last decade in the context of the UN climate summit this week. He posits that this short term trend may complicate efforts to achieve an international agreement on climate change this year. [...]
Climate change is often discussed as the ultimate market failure: in the absence of laws that change incentives, decisions to maximize individual self-interest will not produce the socially desirable outcome of reducing carbon emissions and preserving the climate system. The role of individual and institutional behavior in bringing about the necessary changes is rarely discussed outside [...]
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