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Greta skewers hypocritical alarmists: If you believe climate is an existential threat, you need to just stop CO₂
But adults telling her climate is an existential threat are just blatantly wrong
Climate is a problem, not end-of-world
and proposed 'solutions' often worse
But adults telling her climate is an existential threat are just blatantly wrong
Climate is a problem, not end-of-world
and proposed 'solutions' often worse
The UN Climate Panel tells us that climate impacts by 2070s are equal to average reduction in income of 0.2-2%
Equivalent to one recession in the next half-century
archive.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment…
Equivalent to one recession in the next half-century
archive.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment…
UN Climate Panel's estimate of damage across temperatures (updated by Climate Nobel Laureate Nordhaus) shows moderate costs — likely about 2-4% of GDP by 2100, even if we do nothing
nber.org/reporter/2017n…
nber.org/reporter/2017n…
Even the new 1.5°C UN Climate Panel report pointed out that if we do nothing, a 3.66°C temperature increase will cost 2.6% of global GDP
ipcc.ch/sr15/, page 256
ipcc.ch/sr15/, page 256
And by 2100, the average person in the world will make 450% of what (s)he does in 2020. The average person in the non-OECD will make 600% of today (middle-of-road SSP2)
Compare this to climate impacts of 2.6% or 4% even without policies
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Compare this to climate impacts of 2.6% or 4% even without policies
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Compare this to the cost of going carbon neutral in the cheapest way by 2050 (so effectively, and rather late, given current breathless promises)
New Zealand gov't requested official cost estimate: 16% of GDP (mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/… (p16, avg of ZNE targets)
New Zealand gov't requested official cost estimate: 16% of GDP (mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/… (p16, avg of ZNE targets)
Paying 16% to avoid a small part of a 2-4% problem is a bad deal
For NZ it is more than last year’s entire national budget on social security, welfare, health, education, police, courts, defense, environment, and every other part of government combined. $13 tax on a gallon of gas
For NZ it is more than last year’s entire national budget on social security, welfare, health, education, police, courts, defense, environment, and every other part of government combined. $13 tax on a gallon of gas
That is what first Nobel laureate in climate economics, William Nordhaus finds
We should cut the cheapest and most damaging CO₂, but optimal level is cutting from 4.1°C in 2100 to 3.5°C
2.5°C would be a terrible deal, and 2°C or 1.5°C worse (& impossible)
aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…
We should cut the cheapest and most damaging CO₂, but optimal level is cutting from 4.1°C in 2100 to 3.5°C
2.5°C would be a terrible deal, and 2°C or 1.5°C worse (& impossible)
aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…
So maybe we should stop scaring kids silly
Maybe we should stop scaring ourselves silly?
And maybe start making sensible climate policy, not based on fear but honest awareness of tradeoffs between climate damage and climate policy damage?
Maybe we should stop scaring ourselves silly?
And maybe start making sensible climate policy, not based on fear but honest awareness of tradeoffs between climate damage and climate policy damage?
