I recently read the 2018 paperback edition of The Madhouse Effect by Michael E. Mann and Tom Toles. Mann and Toles do an excellent job being true to the science and facts of climate change while writing in a way that is accessible to non-scientists and non-wonks. A number of things worth noting stand out.

There is No Doubt

First, Mann and Toles explain why there is no doubt about the science of human-caused climate change. In a nutshell, the scientific process is built to challenge consensus and rigorously pursue well founded challenges to the status quo. Legitimate science countering mainline thinking on climate science would be elevated, not suppressed, by the scientific community. In understanding the scientific process and the consensus we see among scientists on climate change, it is clear that there are no real questions as to whether climate change is happening, whether it is caused by our consumption of fossil fuels, or whether it is a serious threat to our existence. It is happening; we are causing it; and it is a serious threat.

The Science is Not Complicated

Second, they make it easy to understand the science behind climate change and the seriousness of the threat. They show how science that we have understood for more than a century is at the heart of the matter – science most any high school science student can grasp.  They show how we are already paying a price for climate change. They acknowledge that there are uncertainties, but show that within the range of uncertainty, it is certain that we will face serious and challenging climate issues in the not too distant future, making clear that we must act now and act decisively.

Special Interests Are at Work

Third, they show how well-funded special interests have stymied the progress on the initiatives necessary to deal with climate change. With intent to stall and delay action for the benefit of the fossil fuel industry, powerful interests from the private sector to elected officials have systemically attacked  the science of climate change and the scientists working on climate science with little regard for civility. None of us should stand for what has been done to distort, obscure, and suppress the truth.

The Costs of Delay are Too High

Lastly, Mann and Toles show that it is a false economy to believe that the cost of addressing climate change is more than the cost of doing nothing. Waiting and seeing what happens and dealing  with climate change later, is not an option. Waiting will undoubtedly cost us more, if not push us past the point of catastrophe on a global scale.

It is Time to Move Forward

Whether you already understand the urgency to act or remain skeptical of the science of climate change, I urge you to read The Madhouse Effect. Read it with an open mind; read it and see the truth. Read it and choose to turn off the naysayers; read it and drop the false argument that maybe there is some doubt about climate change.  Read it and see the problem clearly; read it and understand that costs of climate change are not partisan; they will affect us all. Read it and understand that the time to act is now; read it and tell your elected officials you expect them to take decisive action on climate change now.