Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Lomborg Shifts ... and So Does Pachauri?
Bjorn Lomborg is turning heads with his revised position on climate policy. In his new book, Smart Solutions to Climate Change, the "skeptical environmentalist" calls for spending $100 billion per year to fight climate change. Lomborg favors a global carbon tax to pay for mitigation, adaptation, and geoengineering (including marine cloud whitening). Equally startling is an endorsement by Rajendra Pachauri of the IPCC. Pachauri states that "This book provides not only a reservoir of information on the reality of human-induced climate change, but raises vital questions and examines viable options on what can be done." Does this signal a new willingness by Pachauri and the IPCC to consider climate engineering as a "viable option?"
I'd say Lomborg's shift is not much of a shift. He has always been willing to consider anything that might steer away attention from CO2 reduction, and has been favoring marine cloud whitening for quite some time.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm sure he enjoys the media coverage when promoting his new book.