The recently published Stern Review has generated an overwhelming amount of speculation, debate and controversy in the last few days. Climate Change is front-page news, and rightly so, but does all this talk represent a genuine change in thought on behalf of either our governments or the public, or is it little more than a passing phase?
In response to Sir Nicholas Stern’s report, Tony Blair remarked that the consequences of inaction are “literally disastrous” and, whilst few would argue with his sentiment, it seems to me that this is a fairly well established viewpoint – not to mention ground we covered during negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol. The fact that only now are we seriously contemplating green taxes and new global initiatives suggests that it is Stern’s economic forecasts rather than his environmental ones which have prompted this new wave of political action. Climate Change could cost millions of lives and have dire consequences for biodiversity, but it is the fact that it could cost the world up to 20% of its GDP that has made our leaders truly sit up and think.
Stay informed with the publication of this major report, pre-order your copy now to beat the rush or have a look at some of our other top titles on Climate Change. Also, feel free to post your opinions on the NHBS Biblio-Blog.