Burying climate change for good

The existence of climate change is no longer up for debate. The scientific consensus is that the Earth is warming due to human activity: the level of carbon dioxide – the principal "greenhouse gas" that traps solar radiation in the atmosphere – has risen by more than 50% since the industrial revolution (figure 1). Burning fossil fuels in power stations accounts for about 40% of all human carbon-dioxide generation, but with the insatiable demand for energy and desire for security of supply, many countries are sticking with coal and gas. Indeed, China has plans to build over 500 coal-fired power stations in the next 10 years, 100 more are planned in the US, while India intends to double its electricity-generating capacity by 2015.