On the contrary, as the possible outcomes become clearer, we will almost certainly face the need for serious and costly reductions in energy use, at least among the advanced countries, as well as costly technological advances designed to make energy use more efficient in both the advanced and developing world. This will surely involve sharp cuts in the consumption of fossil fuels, bolstered by taxes and other restrictions.
这也解释了为什么推迟确定长期目标不能如以往一样成为解决之道。相反，随着可能的结果越来越明确，至少在发达国家内部，我们几乎肯定要付出巨大代价认真减少能源的用量，并采用代价昂贵的技术进步成果，从而使能源应用在发达和发展中国家都更加高效。这肯定将涉及大幅度削减化石燃料消费，还会涉及与之配套的税收和其它限制政策。