Socioeconomic impacts of CO2-induced climatic changes and the comparative chances of alternative political responses: Prevention,compensation, and adaptation

Prevention of climatic change by changing human economic behaviour or compensation for climatically detrimental effects by technological fixes is not necessarily better than adaptation. In fact, there are good reasons to conclude that adaptation is the most rational political option, at the same time requiring least marginal action. The problems arising from CO₂ all appear at present to be marginal ones which arise, and should be taken care of, for other reasons as well. With respect to CO₂-induced changes we could not do better than do what should be done in any event for reasons of development policy.Editor's Note: This paper is, in part, a result of interactions at the U.S. Department of Energy's interdisciplinary workshop on Environmental and Societal Consequences of a Possible CO₂-induced Climatic Change, Annapolis, Maryland, April, 1979. Although it is more of a discussion draft than a formal paper, it is being published rapidly and in its present form, for the reason it was written: to generate discussion, debate and exchange on the very important, yet hardly explored, question of societal response to CO₂. Comments on this paper, or its subject, would be welcomed.