Climate goals will fail as long as cryptocurrency exists

THE biggest social and economic hurdle to implementing substantial climate mitigation and adaptation actions is acceptance that many of these are unavoidably disruptive; some profoundly so. This is why some defy all reason to stubbornly resist even the idea of climate change: many of the familiar trappings of our modern life are going to have to disappear with no certainty that they will be replaced at all, let alone with something as convenient and comfortable.

As in medicine, the guiding principle to climate action should be, "Do no harm," but that does not mean the treatment is guaranteed to be completely painless. Some unpleasant choices will have to be made. There is one choice, however, that will represent a great deal of positive climate action while hurting virtually no one: