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The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World | 
 enlarge | Author: Bjorn Lomborg
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $9.49
You Save: $20.50 (68%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  333 reviews
Sales Rank: 9744
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 540
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 6.9 x 1.3
ISBN: 0521010683
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.7
EAN: 9780521010689
ASIN: 0521010683
Publication Date: September 10, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Bjorn Lomborg, a former member of Greenpeace, challenges widely held beliefs that the world environmental situation is getting worse and worse in his new book, The Skeptical Environmentalist. Using statistical information from internationally recognized research institutes, Lomborg systematically examines a range of major environmental issues that feature prominently in headline news around the world, including pollution, biodiversity, fear of chemicals, and the greenhouse effect, and documents that the world has actually improved. He supports his arguments with over 2500 footnotes, allowing readers to check his sources. Lomborg criticizes the way many environmental organizations make selective and misleading use of scientific evidence and argues that we are making decisions about the use of our limited resources based on inaccurate or incomplete information. Concluding that there are more reasons for optimism than pessimism, he stresses the need for clear-headed prioritization of resources to tackle real, not imagined, problems. The Skeptical Environmentalist offers readers a non-partisan evaluation that serves as a useful corrective to the more alarmist accounts favored by campaign groups and the media. Bjorn Lomborg is an associate professor of statistics in the Department of Political Science at the University of Aarhus. When he started to investigate the statistics behind the current gloomy view of the environment, he was genuinely surprised. He published four lengthy articles in the leading Danish newspaper, including statistics documenting an ever-improving world, and unleashed the biggest post-war debate with more than 400 articles in all the major papers. Since then, Lomborg has been a frequent participant in the European debate on environmentalism on television, radio, and in newspapers.
Book Description
Challenges widely held beliefs that the environmental situation is getting worse and worse. Making use of the best available statistical information, Lomborg systematically examines a range of major environmental problems that feature prominently in global headline news. His arguments are presented in non-technical, accessible language and are carefully backed up by over 2500 footnotes allowing readers to check sources for themselves. The Skeptical Environmentalist offers readers a non-partisan stocktaking exercises that serves as a useful corrective to the more alarmist accounts favored by campaign groups and the media.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 328 more reviews...
 One of the most important books ever written on the environment. December 25, 2008
Probably the most important book ever to be written on the environment, this is a tour de force, a brilliant work, and a masterpiece of careful analysis. The author is a former member of Greenpeace who originally intended to prove the environment was getting worse over time. Much to his surprise, and somewhat reluctantly at first, he discovered just the opposite. Lomborg exposes and criticizes the ways in which many environmental organizations make biased and misleading use of the scientific evidence to suit their own political agendas. He sets the record straight by tracking down and exposing the fabricated claims made by often quoted environmental groups. He also backs his own conclusions with solid scientific evidence, including extensive references.
Real science December 19, 2008
The liberals among us won't like this review. Nor will they like the book. But it is what it is. A real scientist shows the scaremongers who exploit the stupidity of the masses for personal gain what we should - and should not - be afraid of.
A great read. Wake up, people.
Suggested Reading for all those who ask "do you support clean water", etc August 27, 2008
I am finding I am not alone in my cynicism of the blind buy-in of "the sky is falling" mentality towards the environment and the now coined "green movement". The author presents a great deal of data to support his thesis but it is well written.
An Intellectually Honest Look at Environmental Impact July 27, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a comprehensive and technically precise investigation into many claims of human impact on the environment. The author heavily documents his sources, which allows them to be conveniently cross-referenced for more academically-minded readers. The massive number of citations also suggests how deeply researched this book really is!
In terms of readability, this book is very accessible for those with a basic familiarity with data analysis; probably nothing more than an introductory statistics course for humanities students. This is largely required to appreciate the more precise statements in the books and the extensive number of supplementary charts and graphs.
This book thoroughly investigates trends of life expectancy, food availability, energy availability, global warming, depletion of forests, depletion of natural water and the like. The general consensus is that although there is usually some truth to many of the more alarming claims out there, any Malthusian prediction of destruction is generally exaggerated. Moreover, the author refutes many commonly exaggerated perceptions about the dangers of nuclear power, DDT and alar.
The global warming chapter is a little outdated, largely because the theory that global temperature is largely driven by solar activity was not popularized around the time of this writing. For more information on this particular topic, I recommend either Bjorn Lomborg's book Cool It, Climate Confusion by Roy Spencer or Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years by Fred Singer and Dennis Avery. The latter two books however, have much more of a derisive tone than Bjorn Lomborg's book does. In many respects, the honest and patient tone of Lomborg's volume makes it much more enjoyable to read.
 Outdated and Uneducated May 15, 2008
2 out of 16 found this review helpful
An environmental book written by a statistician! 90% of all statistics can be used to show either side of the argument 50% of the time! This author uses this skill liberally.
The first chapter makes a very valid point: be aware of what you're reading and be skeptical! The rest of the book is slanted toward his OPINION and he disregards information that doesn't support his viewpoints.
Many things may not be as bad as some portray but they aren't as rosy as this author portrays either. READ WITH SKEPTICISM!!
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