Essay by Eric Worrall
According to Sydney academic Noel Castree, “denialism is in retreat”. But Climate lukewarmer Bjørn Lomborg’s arguments inexplicably resonate with lots of people.
The climate crisis is real – but overusing terms like ‘crisis’ and ‘emergency’ comes with risk
Published: September 12, 2022 6.10am AESTNoel CastreeProfessor of Society & Environment, University of Technology Sydney
“Crisis” is an incredibly potent word, so it’s interesting to witness the way the phrase “climate crisis” has become part of the lingua franca.
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Denialism is in retreat. The climate change debate now is about what is to be done and by whom?
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4. We must appreciate other crises and challenges matter more to many people
Some are tempted to occupy the moral high ground and imply the climate crisis is so grand as to eclipse all others. This is understandable but imprudent.
It’s important to respect other perspectives and negotiate a way forward. Consider, for example, the way author Bjørn Lomborg has questioned the climate emergency by arguing it’s not the main threat.
Lomborg was widely pilloried. But his arguments resonated with many. We may disagree with him, but his views are not irrational.
We must seek to understand how and why this kind of argument makes sense to so many people.
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I find Professor Noel Castree’s article fascinating because he seems so fixated on Bjørn Lomborg.
Lomborg’s genius is exposing just how flimsy the evidence is that global warming is a problem. For example, Lomborg’s 2021 article on heatwave deaths shows the net benefits of warming, the reduction in deaths caused by cold, far outweigh any slight increase in heatwave deaths – even in warm countries like India.
My guess is Professor Castree’s own academic colleagues keep dropping Lomborg’s name in his hearing. Obviously this might just be to get a rise out of Castree, but Lomborg is good at reaching people.
If Sydney academics really are regularly reading and openly discussing Lomborg’s work, climate alarmism is in a lot more trouble than I realised.
