Bjorn Lomborg - he of the now discredited "Copenhagen
Consensus" - has escaped a lot of media scrutiny. This is
perhaps because he knows how to shovel the B.S. Namely offering
"adaptation" as the "less costly" alternative to things
like lowering fossil fuel consumption, say by higher gasoline taxes.
In his latest WSJ propaganda column (‘Global Warming or
Just Getting Old?’) June 3, p. A15) Lomborg goes one step further – postulating
that yes, heat deaths are rising in Europe (82% since 1990 from Lancet study)
but mortality rises sharply with age. In other words, if the oldies just got
ample air conditioning and stayed indoors they’d be ok – and global warming skeptics
like Lomborg could ease up on their criticisms.
But the argument trotted out sounds disarmingly like the one from the Great Barrington Declaration during the Covid pandemic. That is, given the virus singled out oldies in particular (much less so the young) given weaker immune systems. Hence, the Great Barington proponents like Scott Atlas,
pushed for attaining herd immunity, rather than shutting schools, workplaces etc. down. Though this might necessitate more elderly be socially isolated in their homes to avoid infection. But then the rest of the (younger, healthier) U.S. could enjoy the freedoms they were entitled to. Of course, this was poppycock and we since learned the young were almost as likely to pay the price for contracting the disease, especially 'long Covid'.
Back to the climate issue: UAF climate scientist Gunther Weller (in 1980s) proposed a CO2 concentration of 600 ppm as the threshold value for the runaway greenhouse effect. More recent updates of Earth atmospheric system models show, however, that crossing a threshold of 600 ppm will not trigger a literal runaway greenhouse - but it will result in a radically altered, much warmer planet with devastating tipping points, e.g.
Five Major Climate Tipping Point Manifestations & What They Mean
Further, these tipping points will lead to extreme climate conditions that will affect all humans on the planet not just the elderly. See e.g.,
How climate change is making some places too hot and humid to survive
In particular while exact “runaway” conditions (boiling seas) may not be reached extreme heat deaths will – such as occurred in Lyton, Oregon several years ago, e.g.
Hence, Holman Jenkins recent chirping (‘Donald Trump, Climate Scientist’,
May 30, p. A15) about Trump “being right all along” after the RCP 8.5 scenario was retired
by the IPCC still doesn’t mean Trump is some kind of climate genius. No, oceans
won’t boil away, and temperatures won't reach those of Venus, but dead bodies will surely pile up - both young and old.
See Also:
Excerpt:
At least 118 people died in the record heat wave that engulfed the Pacific Northwest in late June, when Portland and Seattle hit record highs of 116 degrees and 108, respectively. Lytton, a village in British Columbia, reached 121 degrees. A wildfire destroyed most of its homes, and at least two people died.
Local governments opened cooling centers and asked apartment managers to check on residents who might be at risk. Still, the heat strained the healthcare system in a part of the country unaccustomed to extreme temperatures.
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