On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks argued that while current weather patterns are alarming and it’s lamentable that climate change discussions have become partisan, combatting climate change requires worldwide, collective action, and he’s “not too optimistic” about that “with China being where it is.”
Brooks stated, “I’m old enough to remember when Republicans talked about climate change, including John McCain and Lindsey Graham. And it got turned partisan, like everything else. And, globally, it’s just a big collective action problem, where the costs of addressing climate change are right now, but the benefits are long-term. But now, if we get more natural disasters, the costs are also short-term. And so, you see this logic where people are saying, we just can’t afford not to do it. And whether that will kick in, I confess, I’m not too optimistic, with China being where it is. But you can’t help not be startled by the weather patterns.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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