Jim Manzi: On Global Warming, Climate Change, and What To Do About It

How should we think about global warming and climate change? How can we develop a sensible strategy to confront a problem for which the risks are inherently difficult to predict with accuracy? And how might the risks from climate change compare with other threats we'll face in the years ahead? In this Podcast, Jim Manzi, a leading technology entrepreneur, shares his perspective. In contrast to the maximalism we often hear in debates about climate change—“is the world going to end?” or “is this a hoax?”—Manzi urges us to think quantitatively about climate change and to pursue a strategy that would allow us to deal with a range of possible outcomes. Manzi explains why the predictions about climate are inherently uncertain—and warns against taxation that would not meaningfully affect climate change but would empower rivals to the United States like China. Instead, Manzi recommends “technology rather than taxation,” a strategy that emphasizes public and private investment in ambitious research toward technologies that will equip us to meet possible challenges and threats from climate change in the years to come.