Attorney Glenn Wiser discusses the disconnect between the IPCC reports concerning the impacts of global warming on future generations and proposed budget surplus fixes

The document highlights a contradiction between the IPCC's warnings of devastating climate impacts and the US government's focus on using budget surpluses for tax cuts. It argues that the cost of investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy is a small fraction of the projected $3 trillion surplus and is far lower than the future costs of climate damage.

• The IPCC predicts that current levels of carbon dioxide and heat-trapping pollutants, which are at levels not seen in 20 million years, could increase global temperatures by up to 10.4 degrees by the end of the century, leading to devastating droughts, floods, and violent storms.
• There is a disconnect between scientific warnings of future environmental liabilities and the US political focus on using the federal budget surplus for immediate tax cuts, as supported by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.
• The cost of implementing a plan to reduce pollution through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and new technologies is estimated to be a tiny fraction of the $3 trillion surplus predicted by the Congressional Budget Office over 10 years.

APA

Wiser, G. (2001). Attorney Glenn Wiser discusses the disconnect between the IPCC reports concerning the impacts of global warming on future generations and proposed budget surplus fixes. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/news/attorney-glenn-wiser-discusses-the-disconnect-between-the-ipcc-reports-concerning-the-impacts-of-global-warming-on-future-generations-and-proposed-budget-surplus-fixes/

Chicago

Wiser, Glenn. Attorney Glenn Wiser discusses the disconnect between the IPCC reports concerning the impacts of global warming on future generations and proposed budget surplus fixes. Center for International Environmental Law, 2001. https://www.ciel.org/news/attorney-glenn-wiser-discusses-the-disconnect-between-the-ipcc-reports-concerning-the-impacts-of-global-warming-on-future-generations-and-proposed-budget-surplus-fixes/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Wiser |first1=Glenn |title=Attorney Glenn Wiser discusses the disconnect between the IPCC reports concerning the impacts of global warming on future generations and proposed budget surplus fixes |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 March 2001 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/attorney-glenn-wiser-discusses-the-disconnect-between-the-ipcc-reports-concerning-the-impacts-of-global-warming-on-future-generations-and-proposed-budget-surplus-fixes/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{wiser2001attorney, author = {Wiser, Glenn}, title = {{Attorney Glenn Wiser discusses the disconnect between the IPCC reports concerning the impacts of global warming on future generations and proposed budget surplus fixes}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2001}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/attorney-glenn-wiser-discusses-the-disconnect-between-the-ipcc-reports-concerning-the-impacts-of-global-warming-on-future-generations-and-proposed-budget-surplus-fixes/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }