The point of departure for this issue of Policy Matters is that the evidence for serious climate change is very strong, although the extent or timing of many of the impacts are still not yet precisely known. But the threats are not so overwhelming as to be hopeless. If we really thought the situation was without hope we would be concentrating on enjoying ourselves as the ship sailed on towards the edge of the world, rather than wasting time trying to solve the problems...
Furthermore, while CEESP has argued strongly that IUCN should address climate change as a central part of its mission, we are also aware that a sudden rush of concern about climate should not blind us to other pressing problems; when nations start to panic the solutions they propose are seldom either very effective or very equitable. We can see a classical example unfolding in front of us at the moment in the rush to develop bio fuels without considering the impact on biodiversity or food production. Now is an important time to hold our collective nerve as well as pushing hard for some solutions.
