Mises Wire

Home | Blog | Myths of Globalization

Myths of Globalization

January 15, 2004

The  Institut Economique Molinari  has published an  Economic Note summarizing the key findings of Bjorn Lomborg. Lomborg, a Danish Professor of Statistics, has a history in the environmentalist movement and was once a member of Greenpeace. As such, he was determined to statistically verify the environmentalist claims, but instead he discovered that these claims were often lacking in scientific rigor. The green ecologists frequently misunderstand the relevant materials, read them selectively and exaggerate their findings. Lomborg even accuse them of using dubious citation techniques. Having unearthed the environmentalist misuse of data, Lomborg shows that fears of an approaching ecological catastrophe are based on myth. The world is not becoming overpopulated. It is falling death rates, not increasing birth rates, which have caused population growth. In fact, birth rates are falling, and we can expect the world population to stabilize in the future. We will be able to feed everyone. Food production is rising and food prices are falling. This is mainly a result of improved farming management skills, and the use of higher yield crops, irrigation, fertilizers and pesticide.



Follow Mises Institute

Add Comment