Blog Comments

New York Times Dot Earth Blog

IEA Charts Course

Andy Revkin's post focuses on World Energy Outlook Special Report

Anderson takes issue with Revkin's “reality check” from the folks at The Breakthrough Institute.

Whether Nordhaus & Shellenberger actually provide what you call a "reality" check" on energy efficiency aspirations for decarbonization is far from clear. Their criticisms of the limits of split incentives, economists' disputes over discount rates, discovering hidden costs in executing effective energy efficiency choices are hardly novel and are self-limited to voluntary actions.

N & S have nothing to say about the impact of laws that require more energy efficient buildings, cars or appliances. Since ramping up energy efficiency throughout the economy is hard to do, but necessary if we are to limit weirder weather and a more chaotic climate, their silence about energy efficiency laws is odd indeed.

Some reality check!