Its a matter of not understanding the system. Most of the climate stuff mistakes correlation for causation. Climate system is extraordinarily complex, and not very understood. 20 years ago people thought we were inducing a new Ice Age. Climate science is still in its infancy. Its not that I know what the effects of humans on climate are, I just do not think anyone else does either.

The issue became politicized, and once that happens studies and research tend to seek correlation to justify a policy as opposed to pure objective study.

Plus, even if humans are causing climate change - getting govt involved is simply lengthening the time it takes to develop other energy. The rest of the world , particularly the developing world could care less about the Green sensibilities of left wing US hipsters.

The only way to redress the climate issue, is to develop tech that genuinely creates more BTUs/$ that digging oil out of the ground. If the Govt artificially raises the costs involved for doing that, thinking to make alternative energy more competitive - all that happens is the Chinese and Indians and Brazilians who do not engage in such practices economically destroy us.

Govt financing of such alternative energy initiatives - while in theory workable - have in reality proven to be simple exercises in cronyism. As a practical matter, throwing taxpayer dollars at the problem is just flushing cash down the drain. The political environment fostered by those wishing to get a piece of the Govt dole simply hinders normal energy production, and crowds out non politically connected researchers who might be onto something viable ,to no good purpose.

The sooner people realize that if "carbon" is a problem, that the only workable solution is to make non carbon energy genuinely more productive than carbon energy.. the sooner it will happen. Switching to energy that gives us an actual competitive advantage in BTU/$ over the rest of the world will prompt the rest of the world to also adopt non carbon energy. Otherwise, us ~300M folks in the US can go back to waterwheels and horse-drawn turbines and in the long run it wont make a whit of difference to a planet with several billion people ramping up their coal and oil usage.

For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)