Video of my interview with Bjorn Lomborg yesterday

[wuapinmon]

My Norwegian step-family is similar, and they've offered the same reasons. I lament that the Spanish-speaking countries have chosen to take the "dubbing" route rather than the "sub-titles" route.

Good to have you here, by the way.

Tim, that's a good point. I've seen many with subtitles, but I think a general lack of literacy in some places motivates this. I wonder if the practice will lessen once alphabetization increases throughout the region.

On the Shrek DVD, the subtitles DO NOT MATCH the dubbing.

[CardiacCoug]

Because I know there are some skeptical environmentalist in these parts.

http://fora.tv/2009/12/15/FORAtv_Exc...mborg_at_COP15

Great to have you here, man. I enjoy your work on CougarBoard. Stick around.

[PaloAltoCougar]

where now legendary Cougarboarders go to the next level.

Kind of like... the Cougarboard afterlife. -)

True, but the debate rages as to which kingdom, or circle of hell, we find ourselves in.

And I enjoyed the video as well (and I dug the guy's colloquial American English). The thing I hate most about the global warming debate are the extremes on both sides: the quasi-religious fervor of Gore and those to his left; and the total denial by those who claim there's nothing that can or should be done. This guy's well-reasoned and analytical approach was refreshing.

[TripletDaddy]

Ox, a few thoughts on this clip now that I have had a chance to watch it:

1. As EPU pointed out, he seems to make strides to be very balanced in his approach to climatology. I find this to be especially interesting at the venue at hand...Global Climate Summit in Copenhagen, where he would probably have implicit license to be as left or right of center as he wanted and still find an audience. Is your impression that he has great credibility in the circles of Climate science? I am unfamiliar with him but obviously this is not my area, so forgive me if he is a climate science rock star.

2. you allude to a possible adversarial relationship with Al Gore, the American poster boy for climate crisis. Does Bjorn have any interest in tackling the United States and becoming, in essence, the de facto spokesperson for this issue? Bjorn references Gore's efficacy at spreading the gospel of climate change, yet acknowledges that Gore has not always been dedicated to the actual science behind it. I wonder if Gore's train has left the station...has he taken this as far as he can take it and is America ready for someone else to take this cause in a slightly more moderate and practical direction? Is Bjorn the guy? He definitely is dynamic enough and as pointed out, he diction makes him appear to be American. In short, I think I would rather hear more from the Bjorns of the world and less from the Gores of the world.

3. I noticed that he wanted to advocate more practical future solutions...specifically R&D for cleaner fuels. Just so happens that at the very beginning of the video clip, it appeared that Chevron is some sort of sponsor. Is there a something brewing under the surface here at the Climate Summit? Is this guy on the company payroll?

4. How cool is it to be in Copenhagen right now? That is awesome. Congratulations on taking part in such a high-profile global event. Please keep us informed of your progress.

[oxcoug]

Art, my "background" is sorta nebulous

I did two grad degrees one in Middle Eastern Studies and one in East European politics with an emphasis on anti-corruption strategies in post-communist Europe. I planned on heading to law school and wanted to get into the academic side of law focusing rule of law and civil society when I ......

unexpectedly sidetracked into new media, got approached to help launch FORA.tv and four years later I'm there and still loving it.

So I'm not a reporter, kind of an MC (much like you, I would guess) and just a dude who wandered into a space not knowing what he was doing.

My main role at FORA though is in content/business dev, managing relationships with universities, think tanks and other public forums that feed our content pipeline and also serve as our marketing hubs.

[oxcoug]

Thanks CC.

[oxcoug]

PAC, you're the ultimate departed CB legend

and your fame only grows -).

Yeah Lomborg's even style is very refreshing. As a contrast, I was working with his publicist to facilitate a sitdown with Bjorn and a very prominent left leaning neo-Marxist writer/theorist (very prominent at the moment). Bjorn very happily agreed to sit down and have a talk.

She, meanwhile, responded to my email asking if she'd be up for it by responding "I can't, I hate him too much." He's the most unhateable dude you're going to find, but some of the more neo-Bolshevist persuasion on the left just hate the fact that he focuses so much on practical solutions and blows off ideology.

[oxcoug]

Triplet D - some answers

1. Lomborg is very clear that he's not a scientist - he's an academic who has studied the science, but an economist and more focused on economic implications and solutions. His focus is zeroed on - "what is our best allocation of resources? and even if the UN IPCC is right, would warming really be the catastrophe it's made out to be?" He's got a lot of credibility as a public intellectual but is loathed by many of the more ideological warmists - in part because he's managed to maintain that credibility. It's been very hard for them to paint a gay Danish intellectual as part of a right wing conspiracy to debunk global warming.

2. On Chevron - ABSOLUTELY ZERO RELATION TO LOMBORG. Chevron is a FORA sponsor but has NO SAY in any editorial choices we make. I've done interviews here with several prominent people who I'm sure hate Chevron.

3. Lomborg isn't really adversarial with Gore, he just wants an open debate - but Gore is clearly scared of Lomborg. In part because he can't keep up with him intellectually and in part because he DOESN'T want an open debate.

4. It's pretty sweet being here, I have to say. It's just myself and one colleague from FORA (our field production manager Kyle Crawford) but we've had a great time. The recent snow in the streets around Christmas gives it a nice Hans Christian Andersen vibe and the place definitely has some buzz about it.

[dabrockster]

Thanks Oxcoug.. The interviews are awesome and his was the best. Man, he is very well informed and that was a great interview...