财经资讯 22国际财金合作司.docVIP

最 新 财 经 资 讯第 （总第224期） 国际司 2014-7-9 目 录 Climate sceptics are losing their grip FT| July 9, 2014 By Martin Wolf We do not have a Chinese or an American atmosphere. We have a global atmosphere. We cannot run independent experiments upon it. We have instead been running a joint experiment. This was not a conscious decision: it happened as a result of the industrial revolution. But we are consciously deciding not to stop. Conducting irreversible experiments with the only planet we have is irresponsible. It would only be rational to refuse to do anything to mitigate the risks if we were certain the science of man-made climate change is bogus. Since it rests on well-established science, it would be ludicrous to claim any such certainty. On the contrary, any reasonably open-minded reader of the Summary for Policymakers from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change would reach the conclusion that any such certainty on the science would be ludicrous. It is rational to ask if the benefits of mitigation outweigh the costs . It is irrational to deny the plausibility of man-made climate change. In these debates and indeed in climate policy, the US plays a pivotal role, for four reasons. First, the US is still the worlds second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide , though its 14 per cent share of the global total in 2012 puts it well behind Chinas 27 per cent. Second, US emissions per head are roughly double those of leading western European economies or Japan. It would be impossible to persuade emerging economies to curb emissions significantly if the US were not to join in. Third, the US has unsurpassed scientific and technological resources, which will be sorely needed if the world is to tackle the challenge of combining low emissions with prosperity for all. Finally, the US is home to the largest number of passionate and committed opponents of action. Given this, two recent events are encouraging for those (like me) who believe elementary