Correcting myths from Bjørn Lomborg
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On a more serious note, I wish I could conclude by saying that Lomborg's book has had some benefit to science, perhaps by way of emphasizing the need for robustness in modeling, or the need for critical evaluation of data. As it happens, those already are central tenets of scientific inquiry, as they have been throughout the history of environmental debate. All that Lomborg has accomplished is to try, without much success, to expose the soft underbelly of science. That underbelly is the uncertainty that invariably accompanies the initial investigations of natural and physical phenomena. That's why the study of problems like global warming is so easy to attack. There is now general consensus that global warming is a genuine phenomenon, but the uncertainty among studies as to its scope and speed provide more than enough ammunition for those determined to seek weaknesses in the arguments, and thus dither away while the problem intensifies.
Richard M. Fisher, "Skepticl About the Skeptical Environmentalist", Skeptical Inquirer, November/December 2002, 49-51
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The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World by Bjørn Lomborg (Cambridge University Press, 2001) has become the most popular "brownlash" book ever, and has led to a large number of rebuttals and counter-rebuttals.
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In Copenhagen review John Quiggen reviews Bjorn Lomborg's latest book. He found that while the project was a political stunt, some of the chapters are useful.
John Quiggin takes a look at the Copenhagen Consensus coordinated by Bjorn Lomborg. UPDATE He has added more of his thoughts.
According to this article in Disinfopedia the Copenhagen Consensus, a meeting planned by Bjørn Lomborg to set global priorities is already falling apart. The meeting is sceduled for May.2004
The Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty will not review Bjørn Lomborg
As reported by the BBC Lomborg is turning up his rhetoric, equating environmental claims with holding a gun to your head.
Review of the climate chapter in The Skeptical Environmentalist
Bjorn Lomborg is neither sceptical nor an environmentalist.By Ian Lowe
This site claims to present a debate about the "Lomborg case", but is actually extremly pro-Lomborg.
Danish Environmentalist Work 'Unscientific'- Panel from Planet Ark. Another group has found that Lomborg's work is unscientific.
Some Realism about Environmental Skepticism: Bjorn Lomborg's 'The Skeptical Environmentalist' by DOUGLAS A. KYSAR Cornell University - School of Law
The Danish Ecological Council has produced Skeptical Questions and Sustainable Answers, a 244 page rebuttal to The Skeptical Environmentalist. It can be ordered from their web site or downloaded for free
"The skeptical environmentalist" A review by Sir John Houghton FRS
Lomborg's theoretical shortcomings by Brian M Czech
Welfare, Growth and Environment: A Skeptical Review of The Skeptical Environmentalist by Felix FitzRoy and Ian Smith. Two economists find that Lomborg's economics are as faulty as his science. Full article in PDF.
Debating The Skeptical Environmentalist, a debate between Lomborg and Environmental Defense Executive Director Fred Krupp
Has anyone actually read The Skeptical Environmentalist? By Chris Mooney
Scientific American has now put its review of The Skeptical Environmentalist on line ("Misleading Math about the Earth"). Also on line are several related pages, including:
Environmental sceptic new Danish green group chief
Skewed Skepticism by Daniel Simberloff (American Scientist March-April 2002) thoroughly skewers Lomborg
Jim Green's collection of links and reposted material on Lomborg
NO FRIEND OF THE EARTH by Andrew Simms
With friends like Bjorn Lomborg, environmentalists don't need enemies by Clive Hamilton and Hal Turton
The Doomslayer by Ed Regis is the article that supposedly started Lomborg on his path to the "dark side". What is most interesting is the number of arguments that Lomborg lifted wholesale from this article.
Grist magazine's multi part review
UCS Examines The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjørn Lomborg
Skeptical Environmentalist Debates Critics
Arguments that don't hold water
Lomborg is an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Political Science at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, so many of his arguments involve statistics. A much better book on the uses and abuses of statistics is Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists by Joel Best, University of California press, 2001.
Print reviews
Pages by me
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Written by Jim Norton
Visit my anti-environmental myths home page.
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