dr. Kevin Trenberth is one of the world's leading experts on climate change. He is a recognized expert at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, has worked for the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and has published more than 600 papers on climatology. Despite these impeccable credentials, when Trenberth spoke to Salon about his recent article in the Journal of Climate Action, Research and Policy, an unmistakable note of frustration crept into the scientist's voice. This was an expert who is not listened to by the general public, although he has something extremely important to say. "Climate change is clearly at an advanced stage and poses a major, even existential, threat that is not being adequately addressed," Trenberth writes. "Improvements are sorely needed in explaining why and how the climate is changing as a result of human activity."

He argues that when it comes to fixing climate change, humanity is missing a key point that he has emphasized repeatedly throughout his career: warming and heating are not the same thing. As Trenberth explained in both his article and an interview with Salon, if our species does not soon fully understand this fact and its implications, the consequences will be catastrophic. (MATÚŠA ROZSU, More at www.salon.com)