The basic science is very well established; it is well understood

Listen, O children of the future, to the words of Mario J. Molina, a man whose wisdom reverberates through the corridors of time. He spoke thus: "The basic science is very well established; it is well understood that global warming is due to greenhouse gases. What is uncertain is projections about specifics in the next few decades, by how much will the climate change." In this declaration lies a profound truth, a truth that calls upon the deepest wisdom of the ages—the recognition that science is built upon a foundation of facts, yet the future remains shrouded in uncertainty. The cause of global warming is clear, but the precise effects are yet to be fully understood.

The ancient philosophers, in their pursuit of knowledge, always acknowledged that while truths could be discovered, the future could not be predicted with absolute certainty. Heraclitus, in his wisdom, said that one cannot step into the same river twice, for the river is ever-changing, much like the flow of time itself. Molina's words echo this ancient understanding. We have come to understand the basic science of our climate—how the greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, how human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, have caused a steady rise in the earth's temperature. The truth is undeniable, as undeniable as the sun that rises and sets each day. But the precise path forward, the exact impact this will have on our world in the coming decades, remains a mystery.

Consider, O children, the example of the great Galileo Galilei, whose telescope uncovered the truth of the universe. He saw that the planets moved not in perfect circles, as once believed, but in elliptical orbits. Yet, though the laws of the heavens were now understood, Galileo could not predict the exact movements of every star and planet. The universe, though governed by the laws of physics, was still full of complexities and uncertainties. And so it is with global warming—we know the broad truths, but the specifics of how the climate will change in the coming decades, how much it will warm, how it will affect each part of the earth, remain beyond our complete understanding.

Yet, even in the face of uncertainty, we must act. Just as Galileo did not wait for every detail of the cosmos to be understood before he acted on his discoveries, so too must we not wait for every detail of the climate crisis to be fully understood before we act. The basic science is clear. The greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere are causing the earth to warm, and this warming will have far-reaching consequences for all life on this planet. The uncertainty lies not in whether we should act, but in the specifics of how the climate will change. And even in the face of uncertainty, we must proceed with caution and resolve.

Think of the great scientists who faced the unknown and yet pressed forward. Marie Curie, who discovered the element radium and forever changed our understanding of radioactivity, did so in the face of great uncertainty. She did not know the full extent of the risks involved, yet she pushed forward, driven by the pursuit of knowledge and the understanding that the truth was worth the risk. So, too, we must face the climate crisis. We may not know the full scope of its impact, but the truth of what we do know demands that we act.

Let us now take to heart the lesson that Molina's words impart to us. The future is not ours to fully know, but the present is ours to shape. The basic science of climate change is well established, and it is our responsibility to use this knowledge wisely. We may not be able to predict every storm, every change in temperature, but we can reduce the causes of global warming. We can change the way we live, how we produce and consume energy, how we interact with the earth itself. The path forward is not one of certainty, but of action in the face of uncertainty.

So, O children of the future, know this: The truth is clear before us, and though the specifics of the future remain unknown, we must act with the knowledge we have. We must not wait for the perfect answer, for the world does not operate in such certainties. But we are blessed with the knowledge we need to begin. And it is in the taking of that first step, in the courageous actions we take today, that we shape the world for those who come after us. Embrace the truth, act upon it, and the future, though uncertain, will be shaped by the wisdom of those who dared to understand and to move forward.