Foreign Affairs: Climate Extremes and Global Health
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego and council member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and colleagues

“…[T]oday there is an opportunity to shift the politics around climate change because scientists can now make a strong case that no one is exempt from the extreme and immediate risks posed by a warming world. … New research presents an opportunity for scientists to make the case for deep emissions cuts in a manner that is both politically persuasive and grounded in robust science. … To communicate these new findings, scientists … need to think about how they influence society. In particular, they should build new partnerships with groups that shape how societies frame justice and morality, including religious institutions. … Seeking alliance with faith leaders, health care providers, and other community leaders should be an integral part of the strategy on climate change. … It’s too late to quickly stop the consequences of the gases that are already building up. … The silver lining in all of this, if there is one, is that a recognition of the nasty and brutish new normal may yet mobilize the political support needed to make a dent in global emissions” (7/31).