From Richard West
Bjørn Lomborg’s opinions are a useful irritant questioning mainstream opinion, but might he not be over-optimistic in arguing that a sea level rise of 30 centimetres is manageable (27 October, p 54)? New research almost invariably seems to report that climate change is faster, or is likely to be more extreme, than previous orthodoxy suggested – for instance, recent findings on CO2 absorption in the Atlantic.
Does his argument hold true if the forecast sea level increase proves to be underestimated by a factor of, say, 10? See, for example, James Hansen’s warnings (28 July, p 30). Thermal expansion ensures that further rises keep coming, even if atmospheric temperatures can be stabilised.
I am sure Lomborg is right to press for greater long-term research into alternative energy sources, but even with a tenfold improvement in efficiency are there sufficient raw materials to provide enough solar power to supply a significant proportion of world electricity needs?
Bristol, UK
