The very survival of liberal democracies and how global business responds to the challenges of climate change will be hotly debated in Adam Smith’s former house in Edinburgh next Monday and Tuesday.

Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) surprised and mollified a restive crowd of environmentalists Saturday when she announced that when she returns to Washington for Tuesday’s congressional session she will “be signing onto the Green New Deal.”

Bjorn Lomborg, President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, talks about the costs and benefits of attacking climate change with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Lomborg argues that we should always be aware of tradeoffs and effectiveness when assessing policies to reduce global warming. He advocates for realistic solutions that consider the potential to improve human life in other ways. He is skeptical of the potential to move away from fossil fuels and argues that geo-engineering and adaptation may be the most effective ways to cope with climate change.

Hoover Institution fellow Larry Diamond discusses his latest book, Ill Winds, where he issues a sobering warning: democracy is retreating across the globe, and the foundations of democratic culture are eroding both at home and abroad.