| Rajendra K. Pachauri leads fellow members of the | | | | Andreas Fischlin . This will mean "facing the issue of |
| Nobel Prize-winning IPCC in a remarkable public | | | | sustainability in the context of climate change to an |
| session of soul-searching. Now that the IPCC has | | | | extent many of us won't like." |
| helped make climate change a signal issue of our | | | | Research challenges in developing nations may |
| times, what next? John Reilly wonders whether the | | | | impede efforts to "optimize the IPCC's work and help |
| IPCC should be celebrating any success, given that | | | | in the whole issue of moving toward a more |
| greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise in spite of | | | | sustainable world." Akimasa Sumi believes IPCC should |
| all the comprehensive study. Given the "dismal | | | | continue to have a powerful role in the future, |
| outcome so far," it's important that the IPCC "avoid | | | | because the "climate change issue is driven by |
| the complacency that comes with big awards," and | | | | science." He proposes refining climate models in the |
| that "much, all of the work is still there to be done." | | | | hope of reducing uncertainty around such matters as |
| "It's probably time for sunset, Michael Golay | | | | the role of aerosols and clouds. He says the focus |
| suggests." Now that the IPCC has succeeded in | | | | must now be on adaptation and mitigation, particularly |
| establishing climate change as "a reality among at | | | | over a 30-year time scale. The IPCC established its |
| least the chattering classes," the next step is actually | | | | relevance because it drew a line between being policy |
| a social question, one that is much more difficult than | | | | relevant and policy prescriptive, says Adil Najam. |
| coming up with new technologies. "We're really talking | | | | Now, "we need to claim victory on understanding the |
| about interfering with markets, and doing this in a | | | | mechanics of the science and stop debating." The |
| way that doesn't become simply another vehicle for | | | | next step must mean "focusing not on the scope of |
| creating profits for special interests…." William | | | | the problem, but on potential for solutions." Should |
| Moomaw believes IPCC reports have made possible | | | | the IPCC attempt to become more prescriptive, |
| policy and corporate innovations that would have | | | | believes Howard Herzog, "it would lose respect." In |
| been unthinkable only a decade ago, and the IPCC | | | | his years with the organization, "anytime we got into |
| should continue to serve in an advisory capacity to | | | | policy prescriptive areas, when we got close to the |
| the world, laying out the technological and economic | | | | line, tensions rose, arguments intensified, we lost |
| possibilities. Says Moomaw, "We got off to a bad | | | | consensus." |
| start. We talked about global warming as being an | | | | He thinks it's important to continue the IPCC's work, |
| environmental issue when in fact global warming is a | | | | because the science will change, and we need a |
| symptom of maldevelopment." The IPCC "should | | | | "broker out there to summarize where science is on |
| continue as the voice of science and help a | | | | critical issues. |
| well-informed society make tough decisions," declares | | | | |