Climate change

At Reason's 40th anniversary event, held in Hollywood on November 14 and 15, "Skeptical Environmentalist" Bjorn Lomborg kicked things off with an engrossing 30-minute presentation about man-made climate change and the best ways to prioritize and solve global problems ranging from water shortages to poverty to malaria. The author most recently of Cool It, Lomborg is also the force behind The Copenhagen Consensus, a path-breaking approach toward effecting efficient solutions to the planet's most pressing issues.

Intelligence Squared US debate series: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 Major reductions in carbon emissions are not worth the money Moderator: John Donvan Speaking for the motion: Bjorn Lomborg, Philip Stott and Peter Huber Speaking against the motion: L. Hunter Lovins, Oliver Tickell and Adam Werbach THIS EVENT WILL BE RECORDED FOR BBC WORLD NEWS. Panelists for the motion Bjorn Lomborg is the author of the bestsellers Cool It and The Skeptical Environmentalist.

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.

The interview was conducted in 2007. 

Autor tekstu: Bjørn Lomborg;

Zielona pseudo-rewolucja Autor tekstu: Bjørn Lomborg Tłumaczenie: Małgorzata Koraszewska Postępująca światowa recesja zagroziła działaniu w sprawie globalnego ocieplenia. Jest to istotne, ponieważ za niespełna rok świat zasiądzie w Kopenhadze  do negocjacji o traktacie mającym być kontynuacją nieudanego Protokołu z Kioto. Jednak w sytuacji, w której ludzie tracą pracę i dochód, natychmiastowa pomoc ekonomiczna wydaje się ważniejsza niż różnice temperatur za 100 lat... 

Lomborg's article in Jewcy Magazine, Apr 22, 2008. What Polar Bears Can Teach Us About the Environment (Hint: It's Not What You Think)

by Bjorn Lomborg, WSJ May 22, 2008 The pain caused by the global food crisis has led many people to belatedly realize that we have prioritized growing crops to feed cars instead of people. That is only a small part of the real problem... Read it online BL May 22 2008 WSJ How to Think About.pdf

Lomborg's thoughts appear in the article Cash-strapped families face £1,000-a-year bill to help Government beat climate change (as if we didn't have enough problems); on the UK Government's decision to set a 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050.

The Government's climate change committee estimates this will cost 1-2 % of the GDP. At current values this is £24 billion  -  or £1,200 per household.

Björn Lomborg guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 September 2008

Solving climate change will be the most expensive public policy decision ever. Half-baked thinking won't fix it now.

One commonly repeated argument for doing something about climate change sounds compelling, but turns out to be almost fraudulent. It is based on comparing the cost of action with the cost of inaction, and almost every major politician in the world uses it. (...) 

Setting new targets on reducing carbon emissions will do nothing to save the world from global warming, a leading environmentalist has warned as ministers meet at a landmark climate change conference. By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent 10 Dec 2008