Bjorn Lomborg, a Danish author and president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, dives into the complexities of climate change and global issues. He critiques alarmist narratives in his book, False Alarm, advocating for strategic resource allocation that maximizes social benefits. The conversation covers the need to prioritize pressing challenges like poverty alongside climate initiatives, innovation in sustainability, and the economic implications of electric vehicles. Lomborg emphasizes a balanced approach to global problem-solving, urging a reevaluation of how we tackle urgent issues.
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insights INSIGHT
Need for Methodologies
Bjorn Lomborg's work emphasizes the crucial need for methodologies to address complex global issues.
This includes defining, prioritizing, and effectively solving problems at various levels, from familial to international.
insights INSIGHT
Prioritizing with Economics
Resources are limited, so prioritizing problems and solutions is essential for maximizing impact.
Economic research helps determine where to spend resources based on return on investment and severity of the issue.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Tuberculosis vs. COVID-19
Every year, tuberculosis kills roughly the same number of people as COVID-19 did in 2020.
Despite being preventable, tuberculosis receives less attention, highlighting the need for better resource allocation.
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In 'Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief', Jordan Peterson synthesizes insights from neuropsychology, cognitive science, and Jungian approaches to mythology and narrative. The book examines why people from different cultures and eras have formulated myths and stories with similar structures, and how these myths reflect fundamental aspects of human cognition and morality. Peterson argues that the human mind categorizes the world into known and unknown territories, and that myths and religious stories represent the eternal struggle between order and chaos. He also discusses the role of heroic figures in bridging these two realms and the importance of confronting the unknown to achieve personal and societal growth. The book is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary work that aims to make the wisdom of myth accessible to the modern mind[3][4][5].
How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place
Bjørn Lomborg
This book, featuring insights from Bjørn Lomborg and numerous economists, evaluates the costs and benefits of addressing twelve global problems with a hypothetical budget of $75 billion. It emphasizes prioritizing solutions based on their potential impact, highlighting interventions such as micronutrient supplementation and malaria treatment as highly effective investments. The book aims to guide decision-makers in allocating resources efficiently to improve global welfare.
12 Rules for Life
An Antidote to Chaos
Jordan B Peterson
In this book, Jordan B. Peterson offers twelve profound and practical rules for living a meaningful life. He argues that happiness is a fleeting and unpredictable goal, and instead, people should seek meaning as a defense against the suffering inherent in life. The book is divided into chapters, each representing one of the twelve rules, such as 'Stand up straight with your shoulders back,' 'Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping,' and 'Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).' Peterson draws on examples from his clinical practice, personal life, cutting-edge psychology, philosophy, and ancient myths to provide a guide for personal improvement and coping with adversity.
False Alarm
Hank DenHerder
Bjorn Lomborg's "False Alarm" challenges the prevailing narrative surrounding climate change. He argues that the catastrophic predictions often presented are exaggerated and that focusing on adaptation and technological innovation is a more effective approach. The book presents data-driven arguments to support his claims, advocating for a more nuanced and less alarmist perspective on the issue. Lomborg proposes a cost-benefit analysis of various climate change mitigation strategies, suggesting that prioritizing other global challenges might yield better results. He emphasizes the importance of economic growth and technological advancement in addressing climate change effectively.
Beyond Order
12 More Rules For Life
Jordan B Peterson
In this sequel to '12 Rules for Life', Jordan B. Peterson presents twelve additional rules to guide readers through the complexities of modern life. The book emphasizes the need to balance chaos and order, warning against the dangers of too much security and the tendency towards tyranny. Peterson draws on psychology, philosophy, theology, and mythology to provide strategies for finding meaning and purpose, even in times of powerlessness. Written during a period of personal and global turmoil, including health issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, the book offers a rich and deep exploration of how to navigate life's challenges[2][3][5].
This episode was recorded on January 21, 2021.
Dr. Bjorn Lomborg and I discuss a variety of topics in the realm of climate change and worldwide problems. We examine the claims made in his latest book False Alarm. Throughout the episode we touch on sustainable development goals, prioritizing problems for the world, achieving the highest return on investment, the apocalypse lens we apply to many global issues, making the poor richer, innovation, adaptation, selling and marketing solutions, and much more.
Dr. Bjorn Lomborg is a Danish author and President of the think tank, Copenhagen Consensus Center. Bjorn champions a path to solving world problems through the use of economic research to determine where to spend our resources based on the return on investment and severity of the impending issue. Dr. Lomborg’s more notable books include False Alarm and How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast 
