"Risky Business": Business Leaders Are Freaking Out Over Climate Change

Risky Business

Since Absolute Consensus never exists, any demand that Absolute Consensus be a prelude to political action is absurd,
a convenient excuse for obstructionists to do nothing. 

The fact that I believe in exceptions to The Law of Gravity does not make me disdain The Law 
or argue on behalf of policies that ignore The Law.
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-guardian-john-olivers-viral-video.html

We would wisely restore humankind's age-old understanding that "exceptions exist for every rule."

Reasonable people promote evasive (and corrective) measures whenever "the preponderance of evidence" indicates trouble ahead.

There is trouble ahead. 

Before another decade is out, science deniers will either admit that global warming is real or, -- in an effort to save face -- they will stop proclaiming their opposition.

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Data confirm May was Earth's warmest on record. 

Andrew Freedman in Mashable.
This summer is an unusually cool one in most parts of the United States.
The rest of the world is frying.

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Why a group of business leaders are freaking out over climate change. "The study is called 'Risky Business', and the driving force behind it is a bipartisan group of prominent former businessmen and public officials: entrepreneur and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; retired hedge fund manager Thomas Steyer; and Henry Paulson, a former Wall Street titan and Treasury secretary under President George W. Bush. Paulson, a Republican, acknowledges that many in his party are skeptical of the science of climate change and want more research. He says this new study suggests the business and investment community needs to take action." John Ydstie in NPR.

Primary source: The report.

The reaction from Hill Republicans: Crickets. "Opposition to carbon regulations or carbon pricing is, if anything, more powerful than it was a few years ago, when Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham negotiated a climate proposal with then-Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman (although Graham ultimately abandoned the talks). Republican Sen. John McCain coauthored cap-and-trade bills several times during the 2000s, but he's no longer pushing the idea. It's too early to say whether more GOP ex-officials will speak up, or whether they could have any sway on Capitol Hill." Ben Geman in National Journal.