Martin Wolf: Inaction over climate change is shameful

That is no longer because it is technically impossible. It is because it is politically painful. 

We are instead set on running an irreversible bet on our ability to manage the consequences of a far bigger rise even than 2C. 

The scale of the uncertainty is an argument for action, not inaction. 

Nobody really knows what risks humanity will ultimately find it has run by continuing on its present course. But we do know that our descendants are quite likely to end up on a different planet, with no way back to our own. 

The bet that our descendants will then cope might be correct. But it might also be disastrously wrong. 

The sane choice must surely be to preserve the planet we have.

Martin Wolf FT 23 October 2018