Atmosphere Quote by Thomas Friedman
“Scientists tend to focus on what they don't know more than what they do know. And there are a lot of things we still don't know about the climate. But we know the difference between climate variability and climate change, and right now the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is well outside the variability pattern - and that's quite quantifiable.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Climate Change Talk at United Nations, 2019
We know enough to distinguish climate change from natural variability, yet uncertainty remains about many details.
In simple terms: We know climate change is real, but details are uncertain.
Key Takeaway
Act on known risks while researching unknowns.
Themes
science
uncertainty
environment
Mood
concerned
determined
Type
informative
analytical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- business planning
- public education
- media reporting
Key Concepts
climate science
risk management
policy
communication
Questions to Reflect On
- What actions can we take despite unknowns?
- How do we balance urgency with scientific humility?
A Different Perspective
Complexity may cause paralysis or denial.
![“People are saying that they want be convinced [about global warming], perfectly. They want to know the climate science projections with 100 per cent certainty. Well, we know a great deal and even with that there is still uncertainty. But the trend line is very clear. We never have 100 per cent…” quote by Gordon R. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/27d/gordon-r-sullivan-54110_battlefields_people-are-saying-that-they-want-be-conv_2853383.jpg)
