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The Skeptical Environmentalist
Bjørn Lomborg
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| Seminar Introduction |
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In his controversial book The Skeptical Environmentalist (published by Cambridge University Press), Bjørn Lomborg, a statistician from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, challenges widely held beliefs that the global environment is rapidly getting worse. Going further, Lomborg systematically provides evidence that the environment has actually improved, and criticizes the way many environmental organizations make selective and misleading use of scientific data to influence decisions about the allocation of limited resources.
Lomborg's book has sparked a furious controversy among scientists, environmentalists and statisticians on all sides of the debates surrounding globalisation, pollution, biodiversity, the Greenhouse Effect and the depletion of natural resources.
Is The Skeptical Environmentalist an important corrective to the alarmist accounts favored by green activists and an ill-informed media, or is it the polemical and dangerous bad science of which Lomborg has been widely accused? In this free seminar, using brief extracts from the book supported by additional commentary, Lomborg puts his case and outlines some of his arguments.
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| Learning Objectives |
- Examine the basis of many common ideas about the environment.
- Look at the history of air pollution and fossil fuel usage.
- Consider the economic consequences of and responses to global warming.
- Conceptualize possibilities concerning the future of energy use.
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| Sessions |
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| Credits |
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The text of this seminar is extracted from The Skeptical Environmentalist, by Bjørn Lomborg, published by Cambridge University Press. Copyright Bjorn Lomborg, 2001. Video interviews with the author were conducted in London in June 2001.
Bjørn Lomborg, a former member of Greenpeace, challenges widely held beliefs that the world environmental situation is getting worse and worse in his new book, The Skeptical Environmentalist. Using statistical information from internationally recognized research institutes, Lomborg systematically examines a range of major environmental issues that feature prominently in headline news around the world, including pollution, biodiversity, fear of chemicals, and the greenhouse effect, and documents that the world has actually improved.
The Skeptical Environmentalist
Lomborg, Bjørn
Paperback (2001)
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| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar fully, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.
Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must have JavaScript enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56K modem with throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar. Plug-ins: If you do not have RealPlayer and Flash Player already installed, please download them from the following sites:
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