Cool It by Bjorn Lomborg

Cool It by Bjorn Lomborg

About the Author

Bjorn Lomborg is a political and social scientist that gained international fame once he published his controversial book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, in 2001. In this book, he argues that the countermeasures made by policymakers and scientists to counter global warming will have minimal impact on the state of the climate in a century. In his book, Cool It Lomborg campaigns against programs such as the Kyoto protocol meant to spend a lot of money in minimizing carbon emissions. Instead, he argues that policymakers and scientists should spend more money on research on alternative ways of using other forms of energy. Lomborg receives a lot of critics for his work due to the current discussions on climate change and the impact it will have on earth. His work led him to get named among the top 10 global skeptical environmentalists in the Business Insider in 2009.

Contents of the Book

In the book Cool it Lomborg exposes the elaborate, expensive schemes that institutions are attempting to implement to counter global warming. Currently, bodies like the UN have estimated that countering global warming will require hundreds of billions of dollars. Lomborg argues that the strategies yet to be implemented are seconded on an emotional basis rather than using scientific facts. Rather than focusing on radical methods that will have little impact on the environment, Lomborg suggests that the resources get used to focus on immediate social and economic concerns such as fighting poverty, malaria pandemics, and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan (Lomborg 29). A fraction of the billions of dollars could get used to improve global sanitation and to ensure everyone gets educated. With this perspective of thinking, Lomborg goes on to provide a second-generation notion on the nature of global warming. He recognizes its existence and the impact it has on the earth. However, he notes that the consequences are one-sided and vastly exaggerated.

Environmentalists that talk about global warming use statistics meant to scare the public into implementing desired strategies. For instance, statistics suggest that by 2050, 2000 people will die as a result of heatwaves in Britain (Lomborg 83). Lomborg addresses these numbers and shows people that environmentalists refuse to tell the listeners that these heatwaves will save over 20,000 that could have died from cold waves. More people would freeze to death if the heat waves did not exist. He goes ahead to talk about the exaggeration of figures, such as the rise of the sea level and water bodies swallowing significant cities. Scientifically, the sea level is likely to rise by afoot. However, statistics provided exaggerate the figure 20 times more. He also addresses the issue of temperature rise and the increase in malaria. He states that the correlation between disease and a rise in temperature is speculation. Statistics provided by the UN suggest that malaria prevalence will increase by 0.2 percent by the end of the century (Lomborg 90). The existence of such statistics makes Lomborg skeptical. He argues that the money used should focus on eradicating malaria today rather than in a century.

Lomborg also looks into alternatives that would serve global warming solutions better. He argues that the strategies used to counter carbon emissions are costly. This fact explains why organizations that work in coal firms and those that contribute to high carbon emissions find it hard to correct their procedures (Lomborg 57). He also argues that the solutions provided to the locals are equally as expensive. Solar panels can only be afforded by the rich who use them decoratively. He argues that the prices of solar panels should get reduced significantly for the vast population to provide if they intend to lower the carbon footprint. The money used by organizations to filter a fraction of the carbon they emit should get invested in research. Scientists are focused on specific strategies that do not seem to have an impact on the current state of the environment. Funding research means experts will find alternatives for carbon that are equally profitable and less harmful to the environment. The society will then have multiple solutions to look into when looking for other options for global warming.

Critique of Major Points

The book makes valid points. It looks at a perspective that is often ignored. The current governments and international bodies use fear as a means to get the public to agree to proposed global warming countermeasures. The major shortcoming of the book is that it fails to address the issue of global warming itself. Lomborg manages to work around the concept of global warming without addressing the adverse negative effects it has on earth. He fails to acknowledge that due to the carbon footprint, acid rain is killing fish in the sea, the food harvested is contaminated using chemicals, land continues to be unproductive due to continued leaching. He offers the solution to constant research. Research requires time that the earth does not have if human beings are meant to survive. For instance, the current industrial emissions are responsible for changes in air components. People are slowly breathing poisoned air and dyeing of respiratory infections and conditions like cancer due to the changes in the environment. Lomborg fails to realize that these are problems that require immediate attention. However, it is essential to note that Lomborg makes valid points when he suggests that more focus should get placed on countering current problems such as poverty and preventing some diseases.

Overall Value of the Book

The book is a valuable intellectual asset to environmentalists. It gives a third-person perspective on the nature of global warming and the aspects of proposed solutions that are unlikely to work. Respectable institutions such as the UN invest a lot in research. Little will come from the examination of those involved who are closed-minded. The book allows environmentalists to re-evaluate the strategies that they have suggested. Re-evaluation translates into new solutions that are likely to work for the current environmental conditions. It also allows people to remember that there are other pressing issues for which answers are yet to get found. For instance, HIV/AIDS and malaria continue to be health problems that claim multiple lives. More money should be invested in finding solutions for such diseases.

Further, fighting poverty through equality and education guarantees that the next generation of humans is literate enough to find solutions for the current global problems. Lomborg argues that it is essential for this generation of human beings to leave a respectable legacy for future generations. Ensuring literacy prevails and people are healthy should be among the top priorities alongside stopping global warming. Conclusively, despite the shortcoming of not looking extensively into global warming, the book gives a different perspective of looking at the direction scientists and political bodies are taking the global.