On April 26th, former domestic policy director of the Mitt Romney presidential campaign and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Oren Cass '05, presented a lecture titled "How (Not) to Worry About Climate Change." The event was organized by the Williams chapter of the American Enterprise Institute and co-sponsored by the Society for Conservative Thought.
Addressing dozens of students, faculty, and local residents, Mr. Cass began by reviewing data from the United National Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He explained how these projections have been misinterpreted by economists and harnessed by activists to create a visceral cultural phenomenon of "climate catastrophism", leading him to advocate for more rational and science-based approaches to the issue. He emphasized that many current climate projections fail to account for future technological development and the ever-growing human capacity to shape and manipulate the environment. Though climate change will certainly need to be addressed, the magnitude of the problem is less immediate and severe than other global challenges, and does not require the extreme amount of resources and attention it is currently receiving.
The invitation of distinguished guests to voice conservative principles at Williams is essential to the mission of the Society for Conservative Thought. If you are interested in contributing to a future event, please contact jjd6@williams.edu.