Bjørn Lomborg

Bjørn Lomborg
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Name	Bjørn Lomborg
Birth date	January 6, 1965
Occupation	Author, economist, and environmentalist

Bjørn Lomborg is a Danish author, economist, and environmentalist known for his controversial views on climate change, sustainable development, and environmental policy. He has written extensively on these topics, often challenging the conventional wisdom of Greenpeace, the United Nations Environment Programme, and other environmental organizations. Lomborg's work has been influenced by economists such as Milton Friedman and Gary Becker, and he has been associated with think tanks like the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute. His ideas have also been shaped by the work of scientists like Bjørn Walloe and Lester Brown, and he has engaged in public debates with Al Gore, Paul Ehrlich, and other prominent environmentalists.

● Early Life and Education

Bjørn Lomborg was born in Aarhus, Denmark, and grew up in a family of Lutheran intellectuals. He studied economics at the University of Aarhus, where he was influenced by the ideas of Adam Smith and David Ricardo. Lomborg later earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Copenhagen, where he was supervised by Karl-Göran Mäler and Peter Nijkamp. During his studies, Lomborg was exposed to the work of Julian Simon, Ronald Coase, and other prominent economists who had written on environmental economics and resource management.

● Career

Lomborg began his career as an economics professor at the University of Aarhus, where he taught courses on microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics. He later became the director of the Environmental Assessment Institute, a think tank based in Copenhagen, where he worked with Nick Hanley and Clive Spash on projects related to cost-benefit analysis and environmental valuation. Lomborg has also been a visiting scholar at Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley, where he has collaborated with researchers like Robert Solow, Joseph Stiglitz, and Amartya Sen.

● The Skeptical Environmentalist

In 2001, Lomborg published his book The Skeptical Environmentalist, which challenged the conventional wisdom on environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. The book was widely reviewed and debated, with some critics like Paul Ehrlich and Stephen Schneider accusing Lomborg of being a climate change denier and others like Jared Diamond and Norman Myers praising his skeptical approach to environmental policy. Lomborg's book was also endorsed by economists like Thomas Sowell and Vernon Smith, who appreciated his use of economic analysis to evaluate environmental problems.

● Copenhagen Consensus

In 2004, Lomborg founded the Copenhagen Consensus, a project that aimed to prioritize global challenges such as HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, and climate change using cost-benefit analysis. The project brought together a group of prominent economists, including Robert Barro, Jagdish Bhagwati, and Douglas North, to evaluate the costs and benefits of different policy interventions. The Copenhagen Consensus has been supported by organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and has been criticized by groups like Oxfam and ActionAid.

● Criticism and Controversy

Lomborg's work has been subject to intense criticism and controversy, with some accusing him of being a climate change skeptic and others praising his skeptical approach to environmental policy. He has been criticized by scientists like James Hansen and Michael Mann for his views on climate change, and has been accused of being funded by fossil fuel companies and other special interest groups. Lomborg has also been involved in public debates with environmental activists like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, and has been praised by libertarian think tanks like the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute.

● Publications and Media Appearances

Lomborg has written several books, including Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming and How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place. He has also written articles for publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Economist, and has appeared on television shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Lomborg has also been interviewed by NPR, BBC, and CNN, and has given lectures at universities like Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Oxford. His work has been translated into over 30 languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Chinese, and he has been named one of the Time 100 most influential people in the world. Category:Danish economists