Charlie Munger on Global Warming. | Caltech 2008 【C:C.M Ep.239】

 

[Transcript]

CHARLIE MUNGER: On global warming. I can give you an easy answer.

 

Do I think there's some global warming caused by increased concentration of carbon dioxide? Yes.

 

Do I think it's nearly as big a problem with Al Gore thinks it is? No.

 

And I think some of the solutions that are proposed by these true believers that are so excited about global warming have created some of the biggest asininities of all. And the worst of the asininities that makes me grieve for my fellow citizens is trying to turn corn into motor fuel. This is one of the world's stupidest ideas.

 

And it involves partly something you would agree with. In figuring the cost of the corn, they don't count anything for the topsoil that's lost with every corn crop. Which any ecologist would care about terribly.

 

So the whole thing is just asinine, it shows how this true believer stuff, which gets onto a cult-like Mania can cause terrible failures of cognition like turning corn into motor fuel. I mean it is really crazy and it's a disgrace. It's not – it's really awful. And so we want to beware getting too influenced by these people who obsess on this one issue.

 

It's going to be very, very hard. I think we have a reason for not using up the petrochemicals and the petrol carbons of the Earth, and that is they're so useful to man for reasons, other than keeping warm and running engines for transportation.

 

And when they're gone, I don't know what Tombrello's solution is, but I'll bet it's not very reliable.

 

TOM TOMBRELLO: I agree.

 

CHARLIE MUNGER: And so I think we've got a good reason for doing this and when you've got a very good sufficient reason to reach out for a fairly stupid reason with a lot of miscognition. It's really not very smart and you'll be ashamed of yourself.

(Source: https://youtu.be/4ibabROYccs?si=AGQznfOPmt9tv3yg)

 

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