The Cost of Human Progress Is a Degradation of the Environment

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I don't like that we are framed as these optimists that like people sleep well in it. What I think is true is acknowledging that we've made a ton of progress and those statements are not opposite to one another. It's true that often the cost of human progress has been a degradation of the environment. We need to use that information and knowledge to understand how we continue that progress on the environmental front.

Having completed several degrees in environmental science, Hannah Ritchie nearly left the field out of helplessness and frustration, worried she would never make a real difference. Today, she's a passionate advocate for changing climate messaging, replacing what she believes are paralyzing--and often false--claims with empowering arguments that people can embrace. Listen as the head of research at Our World in Data talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about food emissions, low-carbon technologies, and what the data shows about what matters (and what matters much less) when it comes to climate change.