WSJ Opinion: The U.N and Climate-proofing the World

Ten O'Clock Live New live topical comedy show hosted by Jimmy Carr, David Mitchell, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne Bjorn Lomborg appears in the show from 6:16

2013-06-18 COPENHAGEN – We often hear how the world as we know it will end, usually through ecological collapse. Indeed, more than 40 years after the Club of Rome released the mother of all apocalyptic forecasts, The Limits to Growth, its basic ideas are still with us. But time has not been kind. Limits to Growth warned humanity in 1972 that devastating collapse was just around the corner. But, while we have seen financial panics since then, there have been no real shortages or productive breakdowns. Instead, the resources generated by human ingenuity remain far ahead of human consumption.

Lomborg's thoughts appear in the article Cash-strapped families face £1,000-a-year bill to help Government beat climate change (as if we didn't have enough problems); on the UK Government's decision to set a 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050.

The Government's climate change committee estimates this will cost 1-2 % of the GDP. At current values this is £24 billion  -  or £1,200 per household.