Assume, for a moment (even if you don’t already believe it) that the effect of humans on the climate is certain, significant, and dangerous.
If you don’t believe it, just, assume it, for the moment.
This is an article by Bret Victor, a thoughtful guy I follow in the tech world. He lays out the underlying issues in the following framework:
- Funding
- Producing energy
- Moving energy
- Consuming energy
Then, because so much of he opportunity and success in the area depends on what scientists and engineers do:
- Tools for Scientists and engineer
And because robust, reasoned public debate requires better understanding of complex situations:
- Media for understanding situations
I happen NOT to believe that the effect of humans on the climate is all three of certain, significant, and dangerous. But from a risk-management perspective, it makes just about zero sense to me to do nothing but criticize people who are trying, however imperfectly, to assess a risky situation, and argue that markets will solve the problem better than governments.
Which maybe is a segue into next week’s topic.