COOL IT (2010) Documentary

 A documentary that takes an alternative approach to dealing with the global warming crisis. COOL IT Questions; LINK to Watch (https://documentarylovers.com/film/cool-it/) 4 Questions 1. A major theme in “Cool It” is that public fear of climate change is hurting our ability to efficiently solve energy policy related problems. When does fear stop having a net positive effect on public interest and policy making and start becoming a hindrance? Have we reached that point in the energy debate? 2. In “Cool It”, Bjorn Lomborg concludes that the cost of stabilizing carbon emissions would far outweigh its benefits for the next 100 years or more and suggests that some funds should instead be allocated toward mitigating problems which would improve quality of life in a shorter amount of time. For example, Lomborg advocates that more funds should go toward current malaria treatment and toward the development of technology which would help us adapt to future climate change. Do you agree with his conclusions? Why or why not? 3. Humans have been geoengineering the Earth since the since we moved from a hunter- gather society to an agrarian one. However, it can be argued that ignorance of the effects long term geoengineering has resulted in climate problems that we are experiencing and dealing with today. Do you believe that current research into geoengineering is a reasonable response or stopgap measure to reduce temperatures until more reliable green energy has been established? Why or why not? 4. Bjorn Lomborg’s changes to the $250 billion dollar per year budget divided into the following ways: $101 billion into solving climate change (R&D on green energy and geoengineering), $48 billion into tackling the impacts of global warming (sea level rise, inland flooding, and urban heat increase), and $87 billion on helping change worldwide issues (health, hunger, water and education). This leaves $14 billion left over. How would you allocate those funds? Would you apply them to the aforementioned issues or do you know of another societal problem that could think could benefit from the leftover budget?