5 years ago:
colin replied:
On one hand, we're not totally inactive on climate change. We haven't solved the problem yet, or even turned the corner, but we're not doing nothing. (See, for example, the death of the coal industry, incredible growth of solar energy, electric cars etc. That's not random.) On the other, climate change isn't the only issue we should care about on behalf of future generations. Patrick Collison and Tyler Cohen make a pretty good case for prioritizing economic growth precisely because the benefits to future generations are incredibly high. Perhaps we should be more concerned about nuclear war.
On the gripping hand, there's that uncertainty problem again. It may not be in future generations best interest to prevent the climate from changing. Maybe the damage will be great for ourselves and our immediate progeny, but the future inhabitants of Yellowknife and Norilsk will be fine with it.
colin replied:
On one hand, we're not totally inactive on climate change. We haven't solved the problem yet, or even turned the corner, but we're not doing nothing. (See, for example, the death of the coal industry, incredible growth of solar energy, electric cars etc. That's not random.) On the other, climate change isn't the only issue we should care about on behalf of future generations. Patrick Collison and Tyler Cohen make a pretty good case for prioritizing economic growth precisely because the benefits to future generations are incredibly high. Perhaps we should be more concerned about nuclear war.
On the gripping hand, there's that uncertainty problem again. It may not be in future generations best interest to prevent the climate from changing. Maybe the damage will be great for ourselves and our immediate progeny, but the future inhabitants of Yellowknife and Norilsk will be fine with it.