Climate Change Skeptic Changes Stance and Calls for Action

In an upcoming book, high-profile global warming skeptic Bjorn Lomborg acknowledges that rising temperatures are “undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today” and calls for investing $100 billion annually to deal with climate change. Lomborg, who has attacked environmentalists and the media for exaggerating the threat of global warming, said that while he has never denied the existence of man-made warming, he has come to believe that it is a serious challenge that must be met by a large-scale investment. His new book, Smart Solutions to Climate Change — co-written with other economists — recommends levying a tax on carbon emissions and using the proceeds to finance research and development into renewable sources of energy; developing geoengineering ideas to cool the planet, such as “cloud whitening” to reflect the sun’s energy back into space; planting more trees; and reducing soot and methane emissions, which contribute to global warming.