Slate Copenhagen Consensus 2012: Big Problems, Big Solutions
Big Problems, Big Solutions
Bjørn Lomborg has a group of Nobel laureates working to solve climate change, war, hunger, and more. And he wants to know what you think. By Bjørn Lomborg
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012.
COPENHAGEN—This decade has seen remarkable progress against humanity’s greatest challenges. Consider the declaration of victory over polio in India, which seemed impossible 10 years ago. January marked one year since the country’s last reported case. Or look at the strides made against malaria: Over the past decade, the number of cases has been reduced by 17 percent, and the number of deaths has dropped by 26 percent. Despite global population growth and economic crisis, absolute poverty—the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day—is falling in every region of the world. In fact, the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty in half has been achieved five years ahead of time. (...)
