Alternative Energy Technologies and Climate Change Mitigation

Commenting on guest blogger Alex Nicolson’s post “Alternative Energy Technologies Are Held Back by Outdated Accounting Practices,” Cameron Atwood writes:

Thank you so much for this article, Alex – this phenomenon has been a thorn in my side for decades.  I’m reminded of the economist who claimed that the very worst impacts of climate disruption would only minimally affect the economy because agriculture only makes up 3% of the whole. Of course, he neglected to consider it’s the 3% we eat.

Exactly.  There are so many asinine ways to regard the threat of climate change that it’s hard to count them all.  I’m reminded of the Cato Institute’s position: Because the worst effects of climate change won’t affect humankind for 50 – 100 years, we recommend putting off the bulk of global warming mitigation strategies until that time.  It’s analogous to recommending that a smoker with a small lung tumor continue to smoke because the tumor hasn’t killed him yet; the logic really is no stronger than that.