Climate change is hard. It is a global phenomenon and any
effort to “do something” must involve seemingly near-impossible global political
cooperation. Sacrifices made by already relatively Green U.S, citizens are, about virtue-signaling which is in much demand throughout the U.S. (and
beyond) these days. Joseph Epstein explains.
Betting beats BS, they say. Trouble is that there are few
instances where the two parties can agree to terms and then sign on to the
deal. The famous “Doomsday” bet between Julian Simon and Paul Ehrlich (which
Simon won and was ready to repeat) was an exception. But outcomes like this matter very little.
Virtue signaling is too important.
Nevertheless, a fine addition to debates like this is Pierre
Desrocher and Joanna Szurmak’s Population Bombed! Exploding the Link Overpopulation and Climate Change. The book is
informative, well sourced, and clearly written. In addition, the final chapters
wonderfully probe the mind set of the pessimists. Pessimists-zero-summers-neo-Malthusians-“anointed”
elites (thank you, Tom Sowell) are given their due in the chapter entitled “Blind,
blinkered and bought?”
Much of this has been said before, but not (in my view) this
well.
The NY Times Book Review often asks authors which one book
they would have the President read. I understand he does not read much. But he
and many others would benefit from the Desrocher-Szurmak book. Better yet, of the many young people graduating
this month, many very likely will not have heard these arguments. Help them.
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