Essay by Eric Worrall
According the Hansen the 2.0C climate target is dead.
Climate change target of 2C is ‘dead’, says renowned climate scientist
Prof James Hansen says pace of global heating has been significantly underestimated, though other scientists disagree
Damian Carrington Environment editorWed 5 Feb 2025 04.31 AEDT
The pace of global heating has been significantly underestimated, according to renowned climate scientist Prof James Hansen, who said the international 2C target is “dead”.
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“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) defined a scenario which gives a 50% chance to keep warming under 2C – that scenario is now impossible,” he said. “The 2C target is dead, because the global energy use is rising, and it will continue to rise.”
The new analysis said global heating is likely to reach 2C by 2045, unless solar geoengineering is deployed.
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In the new study, published in the journal Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, Hansen’s team said: “Failure to be realistic in climate assessment and failure to call out the fecklessness of current policies to stem global warming is not helpful to young people.”
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“The basic problem is that the waste products of fossil fuels are still dumped in the air free of charge,” he said. He also backed the rapid development of nuclear power.
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He said: “We do not recommend implementing climate interventions, but we suggest that young people not be prohibited from having knowledge of the potential and limitations of purposeful global cooling in their toolbox.”
Political change is needed to achieve all these measures, Hansen said: “Special interests have assumed far too much power in our political systems. In democratic countries the power should be with the voter, not with the people who have the money. That requires fixing some of our democracies, including the US.”
There is plenty of evidence voters already do have the power in the USA, even when they choose to use that voting power in ways James Hansen doesn’t approve. In the recent Presidential election, Kamala Harris substantially outspent President Trump, but voters still chose President Trump. Clearly money isn’t everything, at least when it comes to US elections.
I’m not going to lose any sleep over James Hansen’s climate doomsday predictions. In the article above, a number of Hansen’s former colleagues distanced themselves from his latest outburst – with good reason.
James Hansen has made a number of predictions over the years which proven to be less than accurate;
1988: Global Warming Will Cause Droughts
2001: West Side Highway Will be Underwater Within 30 Years
2008: In five to 10 years, the Arctic will be free of see ice in the summer
etc.
Of course, even amongst climate alarmists, there is always someone who is determined to go one better
Interestingly even Hansen’s zeal for reducing CO2 appears to have limits. WUWT once offered a joint platform with Hansen, to support research into nuclear reactors. But Hansen went quiet, and didn’t respond to our offer.
I am however concerned about Hansen’s repeated attacks on democracy.
Hansen has his moment of glory, though nowadays even Hansen’s colleagues politely distance themselves from his extreme predictions. But Hansen still has some influence.
I believe Hansen’s attacks on democracy are potentially damaging. In periods of turmoil like the present day, there is a risk Hansen’s words will influence more young people to join radical environmental movements. Hansen has appealed to young people, and may still have the power to influence young people to embrace his climate extremism.
If even one young person is influenced by Hansen’s alarmist rhetoric, and as a result decides to throw away their future by committing a futile act of eco-terrorism, what a waste and a tragedy that would be, and perhaps already is.
I am not accusing James Hansen of deliberately inciting acts of eco-terrorism. But if you tell a bunch of young people the system is broken, and the world they will inherit will be a dystopian hellscape, don’t be surprised if some of them decide to try to take matters into their own hands.
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