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Greener Than You Think
The Washington Post ^
| Oct. 21, 2001
| Denis Dutton
Posted on 10/22/2001 8:07:20 PM PDT by beckett
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:49:28 AM PDT by Jim Robinson.
[history]
Greener Than You Think'The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World' by Bjorn LomborgReviewed by Denis DuttonSunday, October 21, 2001; Page BW01 THE SKEPTICAL ENVIRONMENTALISTMeasuring the Real State Of the WorldBy Bjorn LomborgCambridge Univ. 515 pp. $69.95; paperback, $27.95That the human race faces environmental problems is unquestionable. That environmental experts have regularly tried to scare us out of our wits with doomsday chants is also beyond dispute. In the 1960s overpopulation was going to cause massive worldwide famine around 1980. A decade later we were being told the world would be out of oil by the 1990s. This ...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:
1
posted on
10/22/2001 8:07:20 PM PDT
by
beckett
To: beckett
Thanks for posting this--fascinating!
2
posted on
10/22/2001 8:31:50 PM PDT
by
duvausa
To: duvausa
I especially like what Lomborg says about Kyoto. $80 to $350 billion per annum to stave off a
tiny warming trend for six years. In other words we might delay a small increase in average worldwide temperatures from 2100 to 2106 if we spend at least $80 billion per annum starting now. But whether we spend the money or not by 2106 the increased temperatures will occur.
I've got to read this book. It looks like Lomborg really blows some holes in a number of the favorite scare stories of the environmentalists.
3
posted on
10/22/2001 8:47:23 PM PDT
by
beckett
To: beckett
If you haven't already, take a look at Julian Simon's The Ultimate Resource 2. I've used it on several occasions in arguments with Greenie lefties. Leaves 'em stuttering and stammering and, of course, resorting to Clintonian character attacks on Simon. I was much saddened on learning of Simon's death, but now it appears this fellow has taken up the mantle. Unfortunately, no one will replace Simon's personality - a pleasant gentleman with undeterred optimism about the future - and the data to back it up.
To: beckett
I've not read the book, but it sure sounds promising from the review. One important point which the book may perhaps mention but the review does not is that economic success makes cleaner and safer technologies possible and affordable. In many cases, efficiency and environmental cleanliness go hand in hand; thus there is a natural incentive for users of technology to improve it. For example, circuit-board manufacturers now recycle and reprocess many of the chemicals they used to dispose of. Not only does this reduce the need to dispose of some nasty chemicals, but it also reduces the costs of new chemicals and materials. On the other hand, had producers of circuit boards been required to develop the clean technology before producing any boards, it's likely none of the technologies would have developed since any possible payoffs would be too far down the road to be worthwhile.
5
posted on
10/22/2001 8:58:17 PM PDT
by
supercat
To: FirstFlaBn
If you haven't already, take a look at Julian Simon's The Ultimate Resource 2.Thx..will do.
6
posted on
10/22/2001 8:59:36 PM PDT
by
beckett
Comment #7 Removed by Moderator
To: supercat
Great point.
8
posted on
10/22/2001 9:04:07 PM PDT
by
beckett
To: beckett
MEga-super-bump!
Great post!
Bump for an interesting book
10
posted on
10/30/2005 7:04:09 AM PST
by
listenhillary
(The MEDIA is NOT a branch of government)
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