Why isn't it enough that fossil fuels are a finite resource? That alone provides good reason to reduce our dependence on them. The way I see it we have two options:
1. Do nothing until we can no longer extract the fuel we need to run our society. This will certainly lead to catastrophe.
2. Use the fuel we are extracting now to build infrastructure that will reduce our long term dependence on fossil fuels. This will ensure sustainability for future generations.
It's a no brainer and requires zero reference to climate change. So why isn't that enough?
You would think so. However, we have a lot of influential people in positions of power that use money to pull the levers of government in such a way as to maintain the status quo. More often than not, they would prefer to just keep things as they are for as long as possible. The future be damned.
One side bar: part of the issue is the left has done what I think is a piss poor job of conveying things to the general public. Climate Change is an issue, but because they take such an alarmist stance, many on the left start sounding like the crazy person on the street corner with the 'End is Near' sign.
Ultimately, to deal with climate change is to have a comprehensive solution for the problem. There are several things that could be sold to the public that would help mitigate the issues with rising temperatures.
1. Modernize the grid - The old grid is less efficient and wastes power via obsolete transmission mediums. Get it up to something more modern and we would be using less energy.
2. Use renewables intelligently - Solar panels are great in California, Florida, or Arizona. Solar panels in North Dakota? Dumb. So be smart about how you utilize renewables. Don't just implement them for the sake of implementing them.
3. Encourage conservation - People at a core level don't have a problem with doing the right thing. So be persuasive, but don't be dictatorial. Tell them to teach their kids to shut the lights off when they leave a room. Provide incentives to use LED bulbs. Make recycling about helping reduce landfill waste.
4. Learn to accept Nuclear Power - This is a BIG issue on the left. Many are so against any concept of nuclear power that their heads almost literally explode when the topic is brought up. Yet their aversion to nuclear power stems from a lack of basic understanding and being alarmist about the nuclear accidents that have happened. Like a plane crash, nuclear issues get a huge amount of media attention. But when you look at the usage of nuke power and how many deaths resulted from it versus what coal, oil and fracking have done, it is a pittance. Not to mention that nuclear power has the highest energy density of any energy medium we currently can use with existing technology.
Technology is ever advancing and with luck, we will eventually crack nuclear fusion. Once that occurs, our energy problems will be drastically reduced. But until then, we have to make due with what we have. Stop politicizing the issues and start thinking about the long term welfare of the planet.