Freeman Dyson "Nails" the Heart of the Global Warming Debate

May 24, 2008 10:26 AM

In the current issue of NY Review of Books Freeman Dyson, the venerable historian of science and frequent commentor on global technological and scientific ethics, has laid bare the heart of the matter. In his view there is in fact a new "religion" (his words) of apocalyptic global-warming activists who scorn legitimate opposing views and who demand enormous geo-political outlays of money and economic disruption to save the planet. These zealots, Dyson wisely conveys, do in fact have a legitimate ethical point, but he also wisely states that the minority of their critics are just as ethically committed. I propose that we rally around the ethical aspects of the debate: yes, it is damn good to educate people to become frugal, to protect environments, etc. But it does not mean that the world's economy should be turned upside down, when damn cheaper fixes of other even more important global problems can be pursued. Don't fail to absorb Dyson's 7-paragraph preamble, which summarizes a brilliant 50-yr. experiment that tells us that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not as morbid a phenomenon as many think, but that seasonal exchange of carbon is massive and makes for amazing vitality.
posted by yazi (1 comment total)

Ease off on the hard sell. You telling me that this is a brilliant and wise piece six or seven times doesn't make me want to read it. The fact that Freeman Dyson is going to weigh in on global warming in a slightly contrarian way is enough to convince people to take a look. FPP's are not editorials.
posted by bluejayk at 10:31 AM on May 24, 2008