[AnthonyMouse]

The problem is that inaction is also fraught.

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."

Some time ago scientists were concerned that the Earth was headed into another ice age. Then we started burning all of this carbon, so that's not happening anymore. Great, catastrophe averted. Now we're burning way too much and going hard the other way.

Damn it.

Okay, so the status quo is no good, maybe we should build a whole bunch of nuclear plants so we can stop burning coal. What could possibly go wrong?

Or we could do this geothermal thing.

Indolence is fatal. Pick your poison.

[jacquesm]

That's a fair point, however, action has often much clearer short term consequences than inaction, and the consequences of inaction can be studied at leisure because action always is still an option. But once you've done your action thingy you can't go back to what it was like before.

[AnthonyMouse]

That isn't really a distinction. Prolonged inaction when action is warranted can have consequences that are just as irreversible.