TV Interview with Lomborg on SunNews Network, Canada

2013-01-08 Read Bjørn Lomborg's commentary in an article by Joseph Brean in National Post.

"Global warming has stalled and will not raise world temperatures over the next five years, according to a new prediction from the British national weather service. The updated computer model of the planet’s climate lowers by about 20% an earlier prediction of how much hotter the coming few years will be than the long-term average since 1971."

For this Earth Day it is especially important we focus on the world's top priorities. In September, all 193 governments will meet at the UN to set targets for the world for the next 15 years in what is explicitly labeled "Sustainable Development Goals." So, it is worth looking at what we should do first. At my think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus, we've asked 60 teams of top economists including several Nobel laureates to evaluate the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of the targets, so we can pick the best ones. Here is what we should do in environment.

Headlines from around the world tell us of hundreds of deaths caused by recent heat waves. The stories invariably blame climate change and admonish us to tackle it urgently. But they mostly reveal how one-sided climate-alarmist reporting leaves us badly informed.

The stories contain a kernel of truth: Global warming is a real, manmade problem that needs addressing. As temperatures increase, so will the frequency and severity of heat waves. But the media fail to report the full story and thus lose focus on the most effective ways to help.