Lomborg still slowing action on climate change

Bjorn Lomborg is touring to promote his book ‘Cool it’. I’ve just been debating with him at the Bristol Festival of Ideas. I came away – like much of the audience – rather confused by the man.

He now seems to recognise climate change is real and will have major impacts; though he doesn’t think we should be in a hurry to do anything about it. He talks a sensible line about the need to invest in clean energy technology; but he doesn’t want the kind of price signals that will drive innovation and roll-out. He cares about development problems such as disease and malnutrition; yet he fails to see how they will be exacerbated by climate change.

I did find some things on which to agree with him, such as the need for massive investment in R&D and the imperative to find alternatives to the stalled international negotiation process. Yet his central message remains that action to tackle climate change now is a complete waste of money.

He ‘proves’ his case by attacking straw men, by setting up a series of false either-or choices and by selectively presenting the evidence. Although much of what he says has been taken apart by serious academics, he is still something of a media darling.

I came away from the debate saddened that this man – who seems decent and clearly does care about global humanitarian problems – should be using his voice and his talents so negatively. Whatever he claims as his motivation, the end result is that he continues to give succour to climate deniers and to the many people desperate to grasp any excuse not to change.