h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Felonius,

I recently read (and thoroughly enjoyed) The Moronic Inferno. I was wondering if you'd read The Skeptical Environmentalist, and if so what you thought about it. I started a convo there, but you don't appear to be subscribed to it, so I though I'd leave a message, if that's ok.

Cheers, pedro.

Good: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I haven't read the Skeptical Environmentalist, as it happens. I think that the whoe climate change debate needs its skeptics; they perform a valuable function by getting us to question our motives and our actions. Lomborg's arguments are well constructed (if misguided) and do need addressing.

What I can't tolerate are arguments based fundamentally upon political prejudices. I suspect the motives of people who bang on about it.

Hi again, apologies for the late reply, I didn't see this when you posted it.


Lomborg isn't skeptical about GW, he just thinks, on a cost benefit basis, that we shouldn't do anything about just now. He puts forward a very good case, although his data on deforestation are apparently rubbish, which makes me question some of the other stuff.

One thing that struck me was, in the intro to TSE, he says that as humans are the only beings which can make decisions, then we're the only ones who count. Of course, if *we* decide to save other animals, then good, but they have no value in themselves. Dunno if I think he's a monster or if I admire his honesty (or both..). So... how do you know his arguments if you haven't read the book?

I've read some pretty damning analyses in Scientific American where they dissect his arguments. If what they say is justifiable (and going on my past experience of SA, I have little reason to think otherwise) then I didn't see a lot of reason to read the original source material.

You can read their take on it here: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=misleading-math-about-the

That's a fantastic link. I'm doing my (economics) dissertation on sustainability, and I think that's going to save a lot of time looking for literature on the flaws in TSE. My supervisor wrote a few papers on how his deforestation data is hopelessly flawed, and it seems everything else is now, too.

Just need to integrate it all with suitable economic models and I'm laughing.

Cheers for that.

You need to read Lomborg's response as well, also on the SciAm website.