Tackling Global Warming Cheaper Than Ignoring It

Coryoth writes, "In a report commissioned by the UK government, respected economist Sir Nicholas Stern concludes that mitigating global warming could cost around 1% of global GDP if spent immediately, but ignoring the problem could cost between 5% and 20% of global GDP. The 700-page study represents the first major report on climate change from an economist rather than a scientist. The report calls for the introduction of green taxes and carbon trading schemes as soon as possible, and calls on the international community to sign a new pact on greenhouse emissions by next year rather than in 2010/11. At the very least the UK government is taking the report seriously; both major parties are proposing new green taxes. Stern points out, however, that any action will only be effective if truly global."

Comments

Not Such a Bad Thing?

[Garrett Fox]

Poster #1 should be banned.

I remain skeptical of the global warming arguments, and divided on what to think of the whole issue. I've seen evidence both for and against the reality and human cause of global warming (see eg. Crichton's propagandistic but informative bad novel State of Fear). It seems as though claims of global warming, even if they're accurate, are an excuse to grant governments even greater power over the economy in the name of Saving the Planet. Because taxation and regulation are undesirable in themselves, I see this movement to create some massively expensive global regulation treaty as a definite harm to the world, being offered as a possible, partial remedy for a problem we're not even sure exists.

We may also be erring on the side of pessimism in judging the effects of global warming (again, assuming it's real). We know there will be problems, but aren't we overlooking some opportunities it will create? In various sources I've heard claims about Scotland's destiny as a premier wine-growing region; easier ice-free shipping lanes through the Arctic Ocean; greening of the Sahara Desert due to increased ocean evaporation; and greater practicality of mining Antarctica's undiscovered resources. Even as we hear about polar bears in trouble, there are also increasing news reports of wolves, manatees and other wildlife flourishing in surprising places. This "crisis" could actually work out better than we think.