GR: Most journalists reporting on climate-change predictions are reluctant to emphasize worst-case scenarios. Popular climate scientists share this reluctance, claiming that discussing worst-case possibilities discourages rather than encourages disaster planning and preparation. However, we shouldn’t treat climate scientists’ worst-case descriptions as pessimism; we should treat them as warnings. Most climate scientists have become dubious that we can limit global warming to the goals set in the Paris Accord. So, what is a reasonable response? There’s a bit of ancient advice that you find scattered across the U. S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website:

“Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”

Unfortunately, most people aren’t preparing for the worst. There is growing media attention to emergency planning, and in fact, many major corporations and most military divisions are preparing. In many countries, however, leaders are not telling people to prepare. In the U. S., many elected leaders are telling…