Politicians who want to address the climate crisis often have to face another problem: re-election.
If their moves are seen as too much too fast, many of them think, they'll be thrown out of office in favour of someone who will do less.
However, history shows us that under certain circumstances, politicians can face even more trouble if they choose to let climate change progress unchecked.
In this week's Riskin Report, CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin explains how over a millennium of Chinese history, political dynasties were more likely to come to an end when people were being adversely impacted by a changing climate.
