Rutgers University
Climate scientist, geobiologist and climate policy wonk, Robert Kopp is a professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University and co-author of Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus.
PROFILE
Robert Kopp
Guest
FROM Robert Kopp
To the Point
Do we need to be 'scared straight' on climate change? It's been a month since President Trump said he'd withdraw America from the Paris climate accord. Now, a story in New York magazine has taken the debate about the dangers of global warming to an unlikely boiling point. The report paints a picture of un-breathable air and food shortages. More than two million people have read the doomsday warnings, which have been shared 640,000 times from the magazine's website. But some scientists call it dangerous alarmism. Others call it "not scary enough." We find out why.
To the Point
Do we need to be 'scared straight' on climate change? It's been a month since President Trump said he'd withdraw America from the Paris climate accord. Now, a story in New York magazine has taken the debate about the dangers of global warming to an unlikely boiling point. The report paints a picture of un-breathable air and food shortages. More than two million people have read the doomsday warnings, which have been shared 640,000 times from the magazine's website. But some scientists call it dangerous alarmism. Others call it "not scary enough." We find out why.
To the Point
The Climate Is Changing while Politics Stays the Same Climate change denial has been overtaken by observable facts — like the rapid melting of ice sheets that will increase ocean levels worldwide. It's happening, and the latest predictions of what's likely to come include disastrous flooding during the lifetimes of people living today. Polls show there's public concern -- but politicians can still ignore it — despite the scientific consensus that there's no time to lose. The cost of reducing greenhouse emissions may be a lot less than the cost of inaction.
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Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.