Innovation & technology

2013-04-22 USA Today Year after year, we are treated to a message of environmental doom and gloom and admonitions on Earth Day. On the back of this sentiment in wealthy countries, governments have invested billions of dollars in inefficient, feel-good policies such as subsidizing solar panels and electric cars. But there are far better ways to improve environmental prospects for humanity and our planet. On Earth Day, we need more fracking, more wealth, smarter investments and fewer inefficient subsidies. Read the full commentary here

2013-04-17 Durante décadas, la idea de un automóvil eléctrico ha conquistado la imaginación de innovadores -incluidos desde hace más de un siglo Henry Ford y Thomas Edison.  Celebridades, expertos y líderes políticos han proyectado estos vehículos como la apoteosis de un futuro responsable con el medioambiente. La canciller alemana, Ángela Merkel, anunció que habría un millón de automóviles eléctricos en la Autobahn para 2020. Del mismo modo, el presidente Barack Obama aseguró que habría un millón de autos eléctricos en los Estados Unidos -pero cinco años antes.

2013-04-11 Someday, the electric car will, indeed, be a great product – just not now. It costs too much; it is inconvenient; and its environmental benefits are negligible (and, in some cases, non-existent). 

BBC Radio 4, Today programme   Few things polarise opinion more than the electric car. It is either a great way to save the planet or a really bad way to get from A to B? The Today programme's Evan Davis wanted to find out more, and took a ride in one with an enthusiast and a sceptic. Bjorn Lomborg, the so-called Sceptical Environmentalist, having written a book of that name, has made a career attacking what he thinks are the irrationalities of the green movement. He is not a fan of electric cars.

2013-03-27 Samochody elektryczne są promowane jako najmodniejszy zwiastun środowiskowo dobroczynnej przyszłości. Reklamy zapewniają nas o „zerowej emisji" i prezydent Obama obiecał milion tych samochodów na drogach do roku 2015. Przy sprzedaży w 2012 r. dochodzącą do 50 tysięcy ta liczba miliona samochodów jest mrzonką. Konsumenci nie ufają im z powodu ograniczonego zasięgu, wyższych cen i logistyce ładowania baterii. Ci jednak, którzy mają samochody elektryczne, przynajmniej mogą pocieszać się, że jest on naprawdę zielony, prawda? Nie zupełnie. (...) 

2013-03-26 We've been tackling global warming badly for 20 years. And for a very simple reason: because we essentially try to tell people, "Could you please stop with all that fossil-fuel stuff?" The problem, of course, is fossil fuels are what power pretty much everything we like about civilization. We're not burning fossil fuels to annoy Al Gore. We're burning them because it makes us rich. Trying to tell people not to do that is a hard sell. (...) 

2013-03-11 Electric cars have garnered a reputation as “zero emissions” vehicles --- but Bjorn Lomborg presents facts and figures that demonstrate the exact opposite. He shows that electric cars are hugely carbon intensive to manufacture. They have an extremely short driving distance, which means they are unreliable – so most consumers have not been interested in purchasing them (even with a generous tax credits of up to $7500).  Added to all of this, the cars barely differ from conventional cars as measured by their carbon emissions. 

2013-03-07 Bjorn Lomborg was asked to testify before the House Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology on March 6, 2013. Unfortunately, the hearing had to be postponed because of snow, but you can read his presentation about "Policy Relevant Climate Issues in Context." 

2013-01-22

Bjorn Lomborg challenges Sir David Attenborough's notion of humans being a “plague on the Earth” and insists that the planet can sustain a much bigger population thanks to innovation.

"He argues that new technologies mean that humans need less land to produce food. Therefore the population can grow without harming wildlife and as people become richer it may even be possible to return degraded land to wildlife."

 2013-01-18 Bjørn Lomborg cautions the enthusiasm, pointing out that yes, solar could cover much of our energy future, but it needs to be much cheaper and we need to have fixed storage first.