A trip to Greenland was a revelation for Bret Stephens, who was skeptical that we faced calamity.
In his debut column for The Times five years ago, Bret Stephens wrote that "demanding abrupt and expensive changes in public policy" to address climate change "raises fair questions about ideological intentions." |
"History," he wrote, "is littered with the human wreckage of scientific errors married to political power." |
Many readers were angry that he was scoffing at climate activism and understating the threat of global warming. Some called for his dismissal. |
Bret maintained his skepticism for years. Then, as Covid-19 cases skyrocketed, the pandemic erased his confidence that human ingenuity and competence could overcome whatever nature threw at us. And as the data on global warming became more indisputable, one of the scientists who had demanded he be fired reached out to discuss their disagreement. |
He invited Bret to Greenland to see for himself the effects of Earth's rising temperatures. The trip was a stark revelation. |
Now, in an extensive re-examination of his views, Bret writes that the seriousness of global warming is real, and while he once thought that humanity would be able to adapt to — and compensate for — any threat posed by climate change, he now believes that threat is so severe that action can't be delayed. |
He urges conservatives to join the climate fight, but he maintains his conservative belief that market forces can deal more effectively with the problem than huge government programs can. |
"A conservative movement that claims to care about what we owe the future," he writes, "has the twin responsibility of setting an example for its children and at the same time preparing for that future. The same prudential logic that applies to personal finances, business decisions, Social Security, the federal debt or other risks to financial solvency should dictate thoughtful policies when it comes to climate." |
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