David Owen on the Environment, Unintended Consequences, and The Conundrum

Author David Owen talks with host Russ Roberts about the ideas in his book. He argues that innovation and energy innovation have increased energy use rather than reduced it, and other seemingly green changes do little to help the reduce humanity's carbon footprint or are actually counter-productive. Only large reductions in consumption are likely to matter and that prescription is unappealing to most people. Owen points out that New York City, ironically perhaps, is one of the greenest places to live because of the efficiencies of density. The conversation concludes with a discussion of how to best approach global warming given these seeming realities.