NASA climate scientist sounds new warning

Renowned NASA climatologist James Hansen has testified before Congress that urgent action is needed to combat climate change, proposing a tax on carbon emissions to deal with the crisis.

The Director for Space Studies at NASA's Goddard Institute, who was one of the first to be credited with raising global warming as a serious issue during the 1980s, said a carbon tax would be the most efficient way to reduce emissions and encourage the use of renewable energy.

"We have to level with the public that there has to be a price on carbon emissions," Hansen said to the hearing. "That is the only way we are going to begin to move toward a carbon free economy."

Dr Hansen also attacked some heads of the fossil fuel industries calling for the prosecution of those who he claimed were spreading false information about the enormity of the climate change problem.

"When you are in that kind of position, as the CEO of one the primary players who have been putting out misinformation even via organisations that affect what gets into school textbooks, then I think that's a crime," he told The Guardian newspaper.

"We have reached an emergency situation" said Hansen and warned lawmakers that it was almost too late to defuse what he referred to as the global warming ticking time bomb.
by Rich Bowden - Jun 23 2008, 23:09
*****************************************************************************************************
Do you think taxes on emissions and criminalization of false information are "the only way we are going to begin to move toward a carbon free economy?"

What do you think of the tone of this article? Is there enough supporting information?
************************************************************************************************