Freedman: Why Is James Hansen So Worried?

James Hansen, the head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, has had it with policymakers' lack of progress to address global climate change, and he is not afraid to let them know it. In commemoration of landmark climate change testimony he gave in 1988, which first alerted Washington to the risks of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, Hansen returned to Congress in a peculiar vindication tour last week. He called for the trial of fossil fuel company CEOs, advocated for a carbon "tax and dividend" proposal, pushed a complete coal moratorium by 2030, and, oh yeah, also discussed some climate science information. Keep reading to better understand Hansen's perspective. For local weather, see our full forecast. Hansen's appearance in a congressional briefing and before the national media demonstrated the... [read full story]