Bjorn Lomborg's new book False Alarm has received much acclaim. The Times calls it "important," National Review says "his approach is undoubtedly the optimal one…If you buy only one book on climate change…this should be the book," and Forbes praises the book for being "meticulously researched, and well worth a read."

Unfortunately, alarmism has a strong following, and Joe Stiglitz promised the New York Times to give the book a bad review before he even saw it. He attacks Lomborg for relying on the work of the only climate economist to ever win the Nobel Prize and even seems to suggest that climate economics should only be addressed by left-leaning economists.

Lomborg meticulously debunks every major claim from the review as false or misleading. Stiglitz still doesn't seem to have read most of the book, claiming for instance that it fails to mention regulation as a climate solution, although the last third of the book is mostly dedicated to discussing such regulations.

In a separate comment on Stiglitz' review, economist Benjamin Zycher notes that "virtually every argument Stiglitz made is incorrect. Stiglitz’s review provides us with a distilled encapsulation of the determined avoidance of evidence, the weak arguments, and the mendacity that for decades have defined the climate alarmist camp."

In an op-ed published in newspapers across Southern California (e.g. Los Angeles Daily News), Lomborg argues that we need free and honest debate on climate change policy. Stiglitz on the other hand tells New York Times readers that they should stay clear of “mind pollution” that would endanger the politics of the Green New Deal. In a partisan world-view it makes sense to not want to have your readers see all the facts that could lead them to inconvenient conclusions.

In Lomborg's reply in the New York Times, he tries to find common ground with Stiglitz, writing that Stiglitz would probably agree with the main point of False Alarm: "Since many climate policies are inefficient, we should be careful to tackle climate change with smart and effective policies like a carbon tax, green innovation and adaptation."

Upon reviewing the controversy, Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti proclaims: "The climate consensus is dead. Long live the open debate!", Danish newspaper Weekendavisen says "Stiglitz has at most read the introduction" and "Lomborg really only says what the UN Climate Panel says." And the leading Dutch news magazine Elsevier Weekblad concludes: "Do read this book!"

Households living in poverty can experience catastrophic healthcare expenditures, live in less sanitary environments, and may lack the participatory power to change their community and health systems. The situation is most critical in the rural communities of Ghana's three northern regions, with only one doctor for every 20,000 people.

To improve access to health care, researchers for Ghana Priorities found that maintenance of the ambulance system and incentives for health care workers to move to remote areas could greatly benefit the rural population, with benefits at least 20-times greater than the cost of both initiatives.

Read a summary of their research in Bjorn Lomborg's article for Ghana's leading newspaper Daily Graphic.

Agriculture is a significant contributor to the Ghanaian economy, with over 40% of all workers engaged in farming. The country is gradually shifting away from this sector towards industry and services, but agriculture is still key for the economy, and a necessary vehicle for reducing poverty and food insecurity.

To improve the agricultural sector’s production efficiency and post-harvest management, a group of researchers for Ghana Priorities analyzed the cost and benefits of improved seeds and fertilizer, irrigation and mechanization to increase yields, and warehouses to reduce post-harvest losses.

Read a summary of their research in Bjorn Lomborg's article for Ghana's leading newspaper Daily Graphic.

 

Proper sanitation practices protect communities from diseases and maintain a clean and safe environment to promote the social, economic, and physical wellbeing of the population. In Ghana, liquid waste management has been largely neglected and remains an urgent issue with nationwide implications.

To target the urgent issue of correct sanitation practices, researchers for Ghana Priorities studied three interventions to improve liquid waste management: comprehensive treatment facilities, advanced stabilization ponds and resource recovery plants that convert waste into energy.

Read a summary of their research in Bjorn Lomborg's article for Ghana's leading newspaper Daily Graphic.

 

Clean and healthy communities require proper sanitation, but one in every three people in the world still lacks access to a dignified sanitation service. Ghana has also struggled to improve sanitation coverage, and the situation remains challenging, especially in rural communities where private latrines are scarce.

To improve sanitation in rural communities, a group of researchers studied the impact of the main community sanitation intervention used in rural Ghana, the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) model.

The CLTS intervention passes a cost-benefit test both with and without a subsidy, showing that improved sanitation has an important effect on reducing disease and mortality. The initiative may also bring other non-health benefits, including a reduced risk of assault, increased dignity, and better privacy.

Read a summary of their research in Bjorn Lomborg's article for Ghana's leading newspaper Daily Graphic.