Can we all walk down the same road?

In a very coincidental way I got to see the new movie “Cool it” by the Danish scientist and formerly announced climate skeptic Bjørn Lomborg the other day. The movie is a documentary with points from his latest book “Smart Solutions to Climate Change: Comparing Costs and Benefits”, where the skeptic Lomborg turns out to be all about the environment as long as the money are spend in the right way. I have to admit that I was the one that was skeptic when I comfortably sat down to watch the movie. As a Dane myself I am constantly exposed to Lomborgs newest say in the climate debate and sometimes find him – lets say  - controversial.

However, by the end of the movie I was actually with him of some of his points. Maybe if was propaganda, maybe I’m naïve, but in some ways his arguments made sense. He pointed out that right now the only real climate policy we have is the European Union 2020 policy, which costs 250 billion dollars a year according to Bjørn Lomborg.

“If the EU continues to spend 250 billion dollars for the rest of the century, they will reduce temperatures by 0,1 degree Fahrenheit by the end of the century. Wow! I’m really sure our descendants are going to be really really happy,” he said to the magazine Foreing Policy.

Furthermore, he argued that the little everyday actions people are encouraged to do to cut down carbon emission merely scares people more of, than it actually helps the climate. So instead of trying to cut down carbon emission the slow EU way, he suggested that the 250 billion dollars should be spend differently and at the same time give the climate a way better future:

Invest 100 billion dollar in clean energy research and development, spend one billion dollars on geo-engineering solutions, put 50 billion dollars into adaption to the effects of climate change, and spend the rest 99 billion dollars on clean drinking water, healthcare, education etc. in poor countries.

And a long way down the road I actually had to agree. It does make more sense to do the necessary R&D on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and water before going out and spending a lot of money on incomplete solutions right now.

So, Bjørn Lomborg got me convinced, but when I went home after watching the movie I couldn’t help but wonder if that was enough. And of course it’s not. Lomborg is a scientist and economy professor and, as far as I’m concerned, an idealist. The numbers he made out are evidently true and if his plan is carried out correctly able to save the earth for future climate agony. But he forgets one very important thing. Politics. Even if all the scientists in the world supported Lomborgs economic layout, they still needed politicians to carry out their plan. And that would probably cost a whole lot more that counted for in the report as politics do draw some dollars. Plus, it takes a master political strategist to get the different government and international organization to take the same road on the climate solution. But how do you do that? How do you get everyone convinced to choose the same solution and stick to it? That’s the next interesting question in the climate debate that didn’t seemed to be answered in Copenhagen and maybe will not be answered in Cancun.