One in an ongoing series of blogs about responding to the challenges of climate change. Previous blogs are available at https://medium.com/me/stories/public.

Climate change is a complex and often contentious subject. Among the most hotly debated issues is a question about human behavior rather than science: is it better to scare people or give them hope to motivate action? A recent article in Nature summarized the issue: pessimistic messaging of the sort typical of Greta Thunberg (“I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I do.”) may foster paralysis rather than action, while optimistic messaging around singular…

Part 2: Adapting the Recipe for Climate Change

Based on the forthcoming book, Cut Super Climate Pollutants, Now!, by Alan Miller, Durwood Zaelke, and Stephen O. Andersen. Part 1 of this blog is accessible at https://alanmiller-64880.medium.com/the-secret-sauce-that-saved-the-ozone-layer-72863eef1063

In a previous blog I described the seemingly mundane process that brought about the remarkably rapid phase-out of ozone depleting substances, many also potent greenhouse gases. Credit for this is owed to one of the most successful international agreements ever achieved — the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The foundation for this success was the creation of panels of technical…

Part 1: Learning the Recipe

Based on the forthcoming book, Cut Super Climate Pollutants, Now!, by Alan Miller, Durwood Zaelke, and Stephen O. Andersen

Diplomats, like chefs, have established recipes (they call them “protocols”) for negotiating and reaching agreements. In the case of climate change, a a secret sauce from a largely unused recipe may be the missing ingredient needed to effectively address climate change.

More than 40 years ago, in 1987, a remarkably successful international agreement, the Montreal Protocol, was signed to protect the ozone layer that protects all of life on earth from harmful ultra-violet radiation. Based on…

Alan S. Miller

Based on the forthcoming book, Cut Super Climate Pollutants, Now!, by Alan Miller, Durwood Zaelke, and Stephen O. Andersen

The election of President Biden provides — finally — a realistic hope the worst of climate change can be avoided. But, before we can throw ourselves into a marathon race to become carbon-neutral by 2050, we must reckon with one hard truth: once emitted, CO2stays in the atmosphere for centuries. We are now within a decade of climatic tipping points that may put us past a point of no return as soon as 2030.

But we are not…

Alan S. Miller

Much can be debated about how countries responded to the pandemic catastrophe: the United States perhaps was the worst of all. Yet the development of multiple vaccines in record time by scientists and pharmaceutical companies in several countries has been an extraordinary success — and may prove to be the model for avoiding an even greater climate catastrophe.

Cooperation between government regulators and pharmaceutical companies brought about effective vaccines in a matter of months, a process that under normal circumstances would have taken years. Primarily through billions of dollars in advance orders the governments removed financial risks…

A COVID Inspired Solution to Climate Change?

Much can be debated about how countries responded to the pandemic, the United States perhaps worst of all. Yet Operation Warp Speed has been an extraordinary success — and may prove to be the model for avoiding an even greater climate catastrophe. The program of cooperation between government regulators and pharmaceutical companies, with relatively modest financial support, has been able to bring about effective vaccines in a matter of months — a process that under normal circumstances would have taken years. Final regulatory approval is expected shortly and distribution of at least one…