BBC debate: The Climate Connection

Like the Kyoto Protocol before it, the drastically over-hyped Paris climate treaty has fallen victim to political and economic reality.

Now that President Donald Trump has officially pulled the United States from the accord, it is time to declare the entire Kyoto-Paris approach to global warming dead and buried. Instead of scrapping over the treaty’s corpse, this is an opportunity to try a new, better and more efficient approach to solving global warming.

Major reductions in carbon emissions are not worth the money - was the topic of the latest Intelligence Squared US debate (Jan 13). Bjorn Lomborg, Peter Huber and Philip Stott spoke for the motion.  

Though they started out with 16% for their proposal and 49% against ("major reductions in carbon emissions are not worth the money"), they ended with 42% for, 48% against - see attached chart.

One of the most overlooked development success stories right now is that the population without access to electricity has fallen below 1 billion for the first time since records began. New data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that in 2017, 120 million people gained access to electricity, meaning more people today have access to electricity than ever before.