Climate Change is Not the Biggest Environmental Problem

According to “What to Do about Climate Change,” a policy analysis from the Cato Institute, non-climate factors will impact human life more than we expect.  In the analysis Indur Goklany argues that our best bet is to address the non-climate problems head on to promote economic growth.

Goklany believes that environmental quality and human health will be much better in a warmer yet richer world as opposed to a cooler, poorer one stating, “That’s primarily because wealth creation, human capital and new or improved technologies often reduce the extent of the human health and environmental ‘bads’ associated with climate change more that temperature increases exacerbate them.”

Data for Goklany’s study came from the UK Department of Environment “fast-track assessment” and the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change.

Malaria, hunger and coastal flooding are three expectations caused by climate change.  To control the level of atmospheric greenhouse gases would cost $165 billion annually and only address 4-10% of the mortalities resulting from the climate threats.  Meanwhile, Goklany claims that “At a cost of less than $34 billion per year, focused adaptation would deliver far greater benefits than would even halting climate change.  Moreover, it would do so at one fifth the cost of the ineffectual Kyoto Protocol.”