On 11 Apr 2007, at 20:37, Dan Minette wrote: > > But, large areas of the world will benefit from the warming too. > Siberia > and Canada will become vast areas in which a lot of food can be > grown. I've > seen costs in the 10 trillion dollar range for global > warming....over the > next 100 years. While high, it's not as high as 50 > trillion.....which would > have to be spent over a much shorter period of time. > > Why wouldn't society just adapt? We both know that global warming > won't hit > in one day, month, year, or even decade. It will be a drain on the > world > economy, but I don't see how it would cause social collapse.
According to a summary of the Stern Review http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Independent_Reviews/ stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm published in The Grauniad http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1935211,00.html "· The benefits of strong, early action considerably outweigh the costs. · Unabated climate change could cost the world at least 5% of GDP each year; if more dramatic predictions come to pass, the cost could be more than 20% of GDP. · The cost of reducing emissions could be limited to around 1% of global GDP; people could be charged more for carbon-intensive goods. · Each tonne of CO2 we emit causes damages worth at least $85, but emissions can be cut at a cost of less than $25 a tonne. · Shifting the world onto a low-carbon path could eventually benefit the economy by $2.5 trillion a year. · By 2050, markets for low-carbon technologies could be worth at least $500bn. · What we do now can have only a limited effect on the climate over the next 40 or 50 years, but what we do in the next 10-20 years can have a profound effect on the climate in the second half of this century." -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ "You are coming to a sad realization. Cancel or Allow?" _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
