US President-elect Joe Biden may have promised a “return to normalcy,” but the truth is that there is no going back. The world is changing in fundamental ways, and the actions the world takes in the next few years will be critical to lay the groundwork for a sustainable, secure, and prosperous future.
For more than 25 years, Project Syndicate has been guided by a simple credo: All people deserve access to a broad range of views by the world’s foremost leaders and thinkers on the issues, events, and forces shaping their lives. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, that mission is more important than ever – and we remain committed to fulfilling it.
But there is no doubt that we, like so many other media organizations nowadays, are under growing strain. If you are in a position to support us, please subscribe now.
As a subscriber, you will enjoy unlimited access to our On Point suite of long reads and book reviews, Say More contributor interviews, The Year Ahead magazine, the full PS archive, and much more. You will also directly support our mission of delivering the highest-quality commentary on the world's most pressing issues to as wide an audience as possible.
By helping us to build a truly open world of ideas, every PS subscriber makes a real difference. Thank you.
PARIS – On some issues, the majority of scientists agree, but large segments of the public are not convinced, resulting in consensus gaps. Unfortunately, many of the most important gaps today relate to sustainability.
For example, there is a long-standing scientific consensus about the reality of climate change and what causes it. Yet, ten years ago, only half of Americans believed that human activity caused global warming (and one-third still doubt it). Similarly, the overwhelming majority of scientists, along with expert groups, agree that genetically modified foods are safe to eat, and can play an important part in helping to feed the world while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. But in most countries, large numbers of citizens think that GM foods harm both consumers and the environment.
Furthermore, most experts – including the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – believe that nuclear power should play a role in lowering global greenhouse-gas emissions. But in many countries, a large share of the population regard nuclear energy as dangerous and even polluting.
We hope you're enjoying Project Syndicate.
To continue reading, subscribe now.
Subscribe
orRegister for FREE to access two premium articles per month.
Register
Already have an account? Log in