Two factors differentiate global climate change from other environmental problems. First, whereas most environmental insults – for example, water pollution, acid rain, or sulfur dioxide emissions – are mitigated promptly or in fairly short order when the source is cleaned up, emissions of CO2 and other trace gases remain in the atmosphere for centuries.
有两种因素使全球气候变化问题区别于其他环境问题。首先，尽管大多数环境对人体的各种伤害，比如，水质污染、酸雨或二氧化硫排放，在污染源被清除后立即或在很短的时间得以缓解，但是二氧化碳和其他痕量气体将会在大气层里停留几个世纪。所以今天减少排放对于遥远未来的人类是极具价值的。