Identifying Smart Climate Change Policies

Climate change has become a divisive topic, especially over the last decade.

But the conversation rarely moves past the issue of whether or not the Earth is warming.

A more helpful discussion would focus on how much we believe it will cost to adapt to environmental changes, how likely these efforts are to succeed, and if there are any better uses for our time or money. In other words, we need to be clear about the cost of each remedy. In thinking about climate change this way, we have to be open to the possibility that the cost of a proposed policy action is greater than its benefit. And if that’s the case, we shouldn’t do it.

After all, it's possible that money could be better spent elsewhere, either on combating climate change in different ways, or even solving other problems, such as reducing diseases like malaria or vastly expanding access to clean drinking water.

Undoubtedly, there are effective policies that we should pursue, but only after we've carefully assessed whether they’re worth what they’ll cost – and importantly, what we’ll give up along the way.