The Climate Brink: On the Brink of Disaster and the Brink of Salvation

While the physics of climate change is well-established, the complexity of its impact on human systems remains our greatest uncertainty. 

We are now witnessing climate impacts that are profoundly non-linear, with the potential for rapid acceleration in the coming decades. However, this trajectory is being met by an equally rapid decline in the cost of climate-safe energy. For the first time in history, we possess the tools to solve the climate crisis by transitioning away from fossil fuels at little to no net cost to society.

But despite the technological and economic breakthroughs, the transition remains stalled. 

I will examine the tension between climate reality and the political power of fossil fuel interests, concluding with a look at how this friction manifests in the public debate over science—including current efforts to challenge the EPA’s endangerment finding. Ultimately, the "brink" we stand on is less about scientific capability and more about the political will to act on what we already know.

Speaker Bio:

Professor Andrew Dessler (Texas A&M), is a climate scientist studying both the science and politics of climate change. He is a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and director of Texas A&M’s Texas Center for Climate Studies. His scientific research revolves around climate feedbacks, in particular how water vapor and clouds act to amplify warming from the carbon dioxide that humans emit.  He is also interested in the intersection of climate change and human society, with the goal of helping us better cope with the impacts of climate change.  

He co-authored the book The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate which is now in its second edition and authored the textbook Introduction to Modern Climate Change which is now in its third edition. He has written op-eds and has communicated on climate change and government policy to diverse audiences through multiple forms of media. Notably, he helped lead and coordinate a 434-page rebuttal of the July 2025 US Department of Energy’s report A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the US Climate in August 2025.

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