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

Attorney Glenn Wiser argues that the US government is ignoring the IPCC's warnings of catastrophic global warming—including a potential 10.4-degree temperature increase by 2100—by prioritizing tax cuts over climate investment. He contends that the cost of transitioning to renewable energy and energy efficiency is a small fraction of the $3 trillion budget surplus predicted by the Congressional Budget Office for the following decade.

• The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) updated its assessment predicting that air pollution causing rising earth temperatures will lead to violent storms, floods, and devastating droughts. The panel notes that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants have reached levels not seen in 20 million years, potentially heating the planet by up to 10.4 degrees by the end of the century.
• Glenn Wiser identifies a disconnect between the IPCC's warnings of future environmental liabilities and the US government's focus on using the federal budget surplus for tax cuts. He notes that Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan shifted his position to support a large tax cut based on labor productivity growth and strong surplus estimates.
• Wiser argues that the cost of implementing a plan to reduce pollution would be a small portion of the approximately $3 trillion surplus predicted by the Congressional Budget Office over 10 years. He asserts that investing in renewable energy, new technologies, and energy efficiency now is more cost-effective than leaving the environmental damage for future generations.

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} }