Thursday on Political Rewind: News about human-driven climate change and is disastrous consequences are a frequent part of headlines in recent times. This week, the Biden administration has announced plans to develop seven major offshore wind farms on the east and west coasts and along the Gulf of Mexico. The proposal is part of a larger plan to generate enough alternative energy to power 10 million homes by 2030.
Meanwhile, the United Nations is set to convene its global Climate Change Conference next month, where countries will be asked to sign off on a plan to reach zero carbon emissions within the next 30 years.
All this comes after the release of new studies showing that the planet is warming at a more rapid pace than previously thought, and that we are reaching a point of no return in keeping temperatures under control. University of Georgia professor Dr. Marshall Shepherd explained that even a slight rise in global temperatures can have detrimental effects.
"Imagine if our bodies ran a temperature or a fever of of three to four degrees above normal," he said. "Our body systems would feel that, they would start to react in some cases, perhaps shut down or misbehave or mis-function. Well, our earth system is running a fever."
Panelists:
Dr. Kim Cobb — Georgia Power Chair and director, Global Change Program at Georgia Tech
Dr. Marshall Shepherd —Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor, geography and atmospheric sciences at University of Georgia
Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
