Your Opinion: Help reduce CO2 emissions

Dear Editor:

In Paris this month, 196 nations signed a climate accord to reduce CO2 emissions. While world leaders were patting themselves on the back for a job well done, notable scientists were less enthused.

As a scientist who has had to deal with the political world, I understand the difference in mindsets. At one time, politics was considered to be "the art of the possible," wherein two or more parties with different goals or views on an issue gave some ground to reach a consensus and move on with procedures at hand.

Science, on the other hand, is a process that studies facts and evidence to prove or disprove a hypothesis or theory. Eventually, a theory is established that is universally held to be true. In the world of science, it is held as fact that the climate is changing and that man's culture is the cause.

Furthermore, changes are occurring more rapidly than predicted. Even if there was a complete halt to the release of CO2 from fossil fuels, the inertia of the global alterations to the factors that influence climate would perpetuate changing weather patterns well into the middle of this century and possibly beyond.

In the final Paris accord it was recognized that because warming to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would be dangerous for humanity that we should pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. Unfortunately, the pledges to reduce greenhouse gases will only limit global warming to roughly 2.7 degrees, which will be catastrophic for humanity near the end of this century.

The accord calls for countries to ratchet up their climate policies in the future. But, we have a slew of Republicans in the U.S. Congress and our statehouses who are gleefully hopeful they will make President Obama a liar on his pledges to the international community. Less gleeful, but equally damaging, are the few Democrats opposing EPA's Clean Power Plan. This includes Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.

As a scientist, a caring grandfather and a human concerned about the future of all life on earth, I ask all citizens to express support for the Paris accord and demand public policy that will help reduce emissions further than our pledge in Paris. Never has it been more important that we come together and demonstrate what's possible!