When it comes to global warming, talk of treason is in the air
Op-ed by Bjorn Lomborg Thursday, July 16, 2009
Discussions about global warming are marked by an increasing desire to stamp out “impure” thinking, to the point of questioning the value of democratic debate. But shutting down discussion simply means the disappearance of reason from public policy. In March, Al Gore’s science adviser and prominent climate researcher, Jim Hansen, proclaimed that when it comes to dealing with global warming, the “democratic process isn’t working.” Although science has demonstrated that carbon-dioxide from fossil fuels is heating the planet, politicians are unwilling to follow his advice and stop building coal-fired power plants. (...)