Any objective look at what science has to say about climate change ought to be sufficient to persuade reasonable people that the climate is changing and that humans are responsible for a substantial part of that - and that these changes are doing harm and will continue to do more harm unless we start to reduce our emissions.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that scientific evidence clearly shows human-induced climate change is harmful, necessitating action to reduce emissions.
John Holdren's quote articulates the urgent need for recognition and action regarding climate change. He argues that a rational examination of scientific findings should convince reasonable individuals that climate change is real, primarily driven by human activities, and poses serious risks to our environment and future. The message underscores the imperative to mitigate these effects by taking significant steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In practice
In a speech addressing environmental activists, one might use this quote to highlight the urgency of climate action.
Humanity cannot afford to muddle through the rest of the twentieth century; the risks are too great, and the stakes are too high. This may be the last opportunity to choose our own and our descendants’ destiny. Failing to choose or making the wrong choices may lead to catastrophe. But it must never be forgotten that the right choices could lead to a much better world.
As a physicist, I've always found cosmology to be a rational elixir; it distances me from ordinary concerns.
While consumers may be more shocked by pink slime or the feeding of Prozac to poultry, the routine feeding of millions of pounds of human antibiotics to chickens presents a much graver threat.
It is hard to overstate how valuable it is to have all the incredible tools that are used for human disease to study plants.
Having walked on the Moon, I know something about what we need to explore, really explore, in space.
Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.
Science is a way of getting knowledge. It's a method. It's a method that really relies on making mistakes. We propose ideas, they are usually wrong, and we test them against the data. Scientists do this in a formal way. It's a way that everyone can go through life; that's how we should be teaching science from a very young age.
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