They Say It Can’t Be Done
They Say It Can’t Be Done is a documentary that explores how innovation can solve some of the world’s greatest problems and promote human progress. The film tracks four companies on the cutting edge of technological innovations that could help to protect the seas from pollution, solve hunger, eliminate organ transplant waitlists, and reduce atmospheric carbon emissions. The documentary also explores how, in the fast‐paced world of technological development, well‐intentioned regulations can inadvertently hamper beneficial discoveries. Each company in the film has the potential to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges, but all face a common roadblock: a restrictive bureaucracy impeding their pathways to success. This online event will feature a discussion between lead producer Patrick Reasonover and Johan Norberg, followed by a question‐and‐answer session with the audience.
When and How We Should “Trust the Science”
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, a national discussion about science and politics is taking place. News coverage implies that “science” is sufficient for policy decisions and that “politics” should not play a role. Cato senior fellow Peter Van Doren, however, explains that scientific findings, by themselves, are rarely sufficient for individual or policy decisions. Such findings can tell us about the causes of outcomes but nothing more. In this Pandemics and Policy study, Van Doren says that the question of how we should evaluate those outcomes in our own decisionmaking requires other considerations, and the relative importance of those considerations will vary across individuals. Trying to aggregate these differences into policy requires further nonscientific decisions.
Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us
As a staunch advocate for the environment and a nonpartisan pragmatist, Michael Shellenberger was dismayed to see many other leaders within the environmental movement engaging in apocalypticism while forgoing advocacy for tractable, evidence‐based solutions to climate change, such as the adoption of nuclear power. In fact, many environmentalists actively oppose humanity’s only scalable green energy source even while painting an apocalyptic picture that has contributed to rising anxiety among adolescents. Join us for an online forum where Shellenberger examines the rise of apocalyptic environmentalism and shows how parts of the environmental movement have become mired in misunderstanding and partisanship. He also gives reasons to oppose a despairing outlook and makes a strong case for rational optimism that humanity will be able to rise to the occasion and effectively tackle environmental problems such as climate change.
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