Bjorn Lomborg: How Our Climate Fixation Hurts the World's Poor
Sep 27, 2023
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Bjorn Lomborg challenges apocalyptic climate change predictions and discusses his work with the Copenhagen Consensus. He presents 12 efficient solutions for the global poor, arguing they could save 4.2 million lives and generate $1.1 trillion in value annually. Topics also include addressing tuberculosis, investing in primary education, the declining reputation of the UN, skepticism in environmental discussions, and overcoming pessimism in media.
Bjorn Lomborg emphasizes the importance of prioritizing cost-benefit analysis to determine efficient solutions for global problems facing the poor.
Bjorn Lomborg criticizes the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs) for being overly ambitious and lacking focus on the most effective solutions.
Bjorn Lomborg highlights the urgent need to address tuberculosis and malaria by ensuring access to treatment, increasing testing, and investing in research and development.
Bjorn Lomborg advocates for investing in primary education and leveraging technology to personalize learning, emphasizing its significant economic benefits.
Deep dives
The Copenhagen Consensus and Efficient Solutions for the Poor
The podcast episode features an interview with Bjorn Lomborg, a Danish political scientist. Lomborg discusses the Copenhagen Consensus, a think tank that focuses on identifying the most efficient solutions to global problems facing the poor. He talks about his new book, Best Things First, which highlights the 12 most efficient solutions for improving the lives of the world's poorest people. Lomborg emphasizes the importance of prioritizing cost-benefit analysis to determine where resources can have the greatest impact. He discusses specific solutions such as ending tuberculosis, addressing malaria, improving primary education, investing in agricultural R&D, increasing skilled migration, and implementing e-procurement. Lomborg also touches on the limitations of global climate change policies and the need for innovation to tackle the issue. Overall, the episode highlights the importance of focusing resources on targeted and efficient solutions to make a significant positive impact on the lives of the world's poor.
Sustainable Development Goals and the Challenge of Overpromising
The podcast delves into the concept of sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations in 2015. Lomborg criticizes the SDGs for being overly ambitious and lacking focus on the most effective solutions. He highlights the need to prioritize specific goals and avoid overpromising. Lomborg explains the challenges of implementing universal social protection, job creation, and renewable energy, as proposed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He argues that such goals would require a massive increase in global taxes and may not deliver the promised outcomes. Lomborg advocates for a more realistic and efficient approach that focuses on the best solutions for the world's poorest people.
Tuberculosis and Malaria as Global Health Priorities
This part of the podcast discusses the urgent need to address tuberculosis and malaria. Lomborg explains that while tuberculosis has been largely eradicated in rich countries, it still poses a significant threat in poorer regions. He emphasizes the importance of ensuring access to treatment and increasing testing for early detection. Lomborg also addresses malaria as a disease of poverty rather than solely a tropical disease, explaining that wealthier countries have managed to tackle malaria by improving living conditions and access to prevention measures. He highlights the cost-effectiveness of distributing insecticide-treated bed nets and encourages investments in research and development to combat both diseases.
The Power of Education and Its Challenges
This section of the podcast focuses on the transformative role of education for combating poverty. Lomborg highlights the importance of investing in primary education, as it provides the greatest impact at the lowest cost. He emphasizes the need to improve the quality of education and address the wide range of abilities and learning levels within classrooms. Lomborg discusses the potential of technology, such as educational tablets, to personalize learning and enhance educational outcomes. He presents evidence showing that just one hour of personalized tablet-based learning can have the same impact as three years of traditional schooling. Lomborg highlights the significant economic benefits that can be achieved by improving primary education worldwide.
Agricultural Research and Green Revolution for Feeding the World
The podcast explores the importance of agricultural research and development (R&D) in addressing global hunger. Lomborg discusses the success of the Green Revolution in increasing food production, particularly for crops like wheat, rice, and corn. However, he highlights the need for a new Green Revolution that focuses on other essential crops like sorghum and cassava, which are critical for many developing countries. Lomborg advocates for increased investment in agricultural R&D to improve productivity and reduce prices. He emphasizes the potential benefits of investing in R&D for both farmers and consumers, resulting in more efficient and sustainable agriculture globally.
Skilled Migration and E-Procurement as Effective Solutions
This part of the podcast highlights the benefits of skilled migration and electronic procurement (e-procurement). Lomborg argues that skilled migration can boost productivity in both sending and receiving countries. He suggests a modest increase in skilled migration as a cost-effective solution for economic growth. Lomborg also discusses the potential of e-procurement in reducing corruption and increasing efficiency in government procurement processes. He explains how e-procurement platforms can create transparency, improve competition, and lead to significant cost savings, benefiting developing countries financially. Lomborg emphasizes the importance of focusing on practical and efficient solutions that can deliver tangible benefits.
The Need for Innovation in Tackling Climate Change
In this segment, Lomborg discusses climate change and the need for innovative solutions. He argues that relying solely on regulations and global climate agreements is insufficient. Lomborg emphasizes that innovation is the key to addressing climate change effectively. He advocates for investing in green energy research and development to make alternative energy sources more affordable and accessible. Lomborg highlights previous successful examples, like the shale gas revolution, as evidence that innovation can lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions. While acknowledging the importance of tackling climate change, Lomborg urges a practical and cost-effective approach that prioritizes innovation over costly and inefficient interventions.
Overcoming Pessimism and Focusing on Solutions
The podcast concludes with a discussion on overcoming pessimism and focusing on effective solutions. Lomborg acknowledges the prevailing pessimism in society but stresses the progress that has been made in reducing poverty and improving quality of life. He encourages a realistic assessment of global challenges and the need to prioritize cost-effective solutions. Lomborg emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the world can be made better through efficient allocation of resources. By focusing on the most effective solutions and highlighting the opportunities for positive change, Lomborg promotes a hopeful and pragmatic approach to addressing global problems.
In 2001, Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg burst onto the international scene with his bestselling and controversial book The Skeptical Environmentalist. The onetime member of Greenpeace said that climate change is real and that human activity is clearly contributing to it, but he said the best science didn't support the apocalyptic visions put forth by people like Earth in the Balance author and former Vice President Al Gore.
Lomborg went on to create the Copenhagen Consensus, a think tank that applies cost-benefit analysis to problems facing the global poor and works with Nobel laureates, policymakers, philanthropists, and researchers to develop pragmatic, relatively low-cost solutions to issues such as tuberculosis, malaria, lack of education, and access to food.
His new book is called Best Things First and it presents what Lomborg says are "the 12 most efficient solutions for the world's poorest people." He argues that for about $35 billion a year—a little more than half of what the U.S. spends annually on humanitarian aid—these policies could save 4.2 million lives and generate an extra $1.1 trillion in value every year.
I caught up with Lomborg in New York City during the latest meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. We talked about Best Things First, his view of the current environmentalist movement, and why politicians and the media continue to fixate on the possibility of a future climate apocalypse rather than helping the global poor in the here and now.
