Hamburger Klimakommentar
Der Hamburger Umweltökonom Professor Richard Tol kommentiert für Prometheus den neuen Stern-Klimafolgen-Review für die britische Regierung, Hintergrund der jüngsten Katastrophen-Statements von Tony Blair und reisserischer Schlagzeilen in den Massenmedien:
In sum, the Stern Review is very selective in the studies it quotes on the impacts of climate change. The selection bias is not random, but emphasizes the most pessimistic studies. The discount rate used is lower than the official recommendations by HM Treasury. Results are occasionally misinterpreted. The report claims that a cost-benefit-analysis was done, but none was carried out. The Stern Review can therefore be dismissed as alarmist and incompetent.
This is not to say that climate change is not a problem, nor that greenhouse gas emissions should not be reduced. There are sound arguments for emission reduction. However, unsound analysis like the Stern Review only provide fodder for those skeptical of climate change and climate policy.
Wenn dem mal so wäre. Je größer die verkündete Katastrophe, um so geringer scheint die Neigung der Öffentlichkeit, sich mit den wissenschaftlichen und politischen Hintergründen der Klimapolitik kritisch auseinanderzusetzen.
