ABSTRACT
André Gide, the great French moralist, wrote in his journal a half-century ago that “man’s responsibility increases, as that of the gods decreases.” Every step taken by science claims territory once occupied by the supernatural. Where once we accepted storms and drought as divine will, there is now overwhelming scientific evidence that we ourselves are influencing Earth’s climate. Scientists have the responsibility of telling the world whether our planet is headed for some climatic catastrophe of our own making and, if so, what steps can be taken to avoid it.
