In the past three months, the U.S. has experienced a spate of extreme weather and experts say there's no doubt that human-induced climate change is to blame.
From wildfires, record-setting heat and widespread droughtconditions to turbo-charged hurricanesand flooding, extreme weather events are increasing both in intensity and frequency.
The anxiety-provoking idea of an eventually uninhabitable world is compounded by fear and uncertainty caused by the country's pandemic-related fallout.
Scientists warn time is running out to take significant action -- a daunting task made more so by the ongoing economic crisis.
In their new book "Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal," Noam Chomsky and economist Robert Pollin assert that the transition to a green economy is necessary but will not bring on further economic disaster, as many assume.
That fear is misplaced, they write, and enourages climate denialism. In fact, climate change is an economic threat in and of itself.
What is the "Global Green New Deal," and how soon does it need to be put into effect to have a real effect?
How would a green economy affect peoples' daily lives? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities?
How can we overcome political and economic obstacles to implement a more climate-conscious system? What's at risk if we don't?
Guests:
- Noam Chomsky, institute professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a laureate professor at the University of Arizona and co-author of "Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal”
- Robert Pollin, co-author and professor of economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst
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*This interview was recorded on Monday, September 14.
