The Washington Post embarrasses itself today by publishing the usual delayer drivel in an op-ed by Bjorn Lomborg.
The fundamental problem with Lomborg's argument (which he also makes in his recent book Cool It!) is that it is based on the assumption that the worst-case, climate-change scenario cannot happen.
The IPCC's predictions for climate change over the next hundred years range from about 2°C to 5°C. If you assume that the warming will be closer to 2° than 5°, which Lomborg does, then it certainly does reduce the pressure to act immediately on climate change. No doubt about that.
However, there is no scientific basis for that assumption. Future warming certainly could be closer to 2°, but it could equally likely be close to 5°. We just don't know.
Why does he make this assumption? Because there is a conclusion he wants to reach: We should not be taking action on climate change. The only way you can reach that conclusion is by assuming that future climate change will be mild.
This argument is bogus. Don't believe it.
Comments
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Delay And Deny Posted 10:48 am
26 Jun 2008
3 degrees or even 5 would benefit almost all humanity.
I look forward to the naturogenic processes that warm the Earth continuing to work their magic!!
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Max8806 Posted 11:05 am
26 Jun 2008
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KenG Posted 11:35 am
26 Jun 2008
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caniscandida Posted 11:18 pm
26 Jun 2008
It might also be pointed out that he says nothing about the Biodiversity Crisis.
(And in that regard, Grist/Gristmill see eye-to-eye with him.)
Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.
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EliRabett Posted 1:51 pm
27 Jun 2008
OTOH, I do have a question. One of the latest hoohas is that relative humidity is staying constant in the troposphere (I think this started with Anthony Watt). You published in this area a while ago (there was a deficit). What gives. If you want to stick an oar in one of the hotspots is dotearth.
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Andrew Dessler Posted 2:27 pm
27 Jun 2008
thanks!
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EliRabett Posted 9:35 pm
27 Jun 2008
This figure appears to be all over the place now from this link (your work gets a friendly mention, and I think Tony's friends at Climate Audit are on the case. Anyhow it is metastsizing.
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Andrew Dessler Posted 4:48 am
28 Jun 2008
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Angelsnecropolis Posted 7:50 am
28 Jun 2008
With so much data and consensus regarding the validity of GW and human induced changes, I seriously can't understand the logic of Climate Change deniers... that is until I realize they don't operate on logic.
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Wolverine Posted 4:04 am
30 Jun 2008
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