Bjorn Lomborg and the Long Con
Tags: bjorn lomborg, John R. Mashey
Not to Be Missed: Mashey Bashing Bjorn
Frequent DeSmogBlog comment contributor John R. Mashey does a lovely job deconstructing Bjorn Lomborg's fictional liberalism in a post here at The Way Things Break.
Lomborg's con is to argue that climate change, while a valid concern, is a much lower priority than dealing with starvation and disease in the developing world. Mashey points out, however, that buddy Bjorn is too busy enriching himself on the denier think tank speaker circuit to actually spend any time advocating for an increase in global aid.
Mashey's more polite than I would have been, but he also shreds Lomborg and his entire argument to better effect.
Not bashing, just analysis... but thanks for the plug
And I'm sorry to say I forgot to put Senator Inhofe on the list of those fond of Lomborg, as per:
http://www.desmogblog.com/lomborg-leave-global-warming-to-our-kids-because-its-too-expensive-for-us
and I forgot to add in Gary Yohe's comments:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/22/climatechange.carbonemissions
Of course, one can *advocate* for anything, but the real question is how one spends one's own time and money, and if one is well-connected to government, how strongly one lobbies for those causes.
Casual use of the term "bashing"
Apologies. I didn't intend to imply violent intent; mostly I was enjoying the alliteration.
Still, Lomborg should take notice that when he is confronted with a careful and articulate analysis, he can only retreat to nurse the bruising to his pretty (if incredibly cynical) hypothesis.