Climate Change & Science
I fall into a somewhat of an awkward bin in the politics of climate change: I think it's a real problem, but I am also pretty skeptical that current green technology will have a chance of making a meaningful impact. I think there is no chance of avoiding climate change without a fundamental technological breakthrough. Windmills and solar panels are all good as far as they go, but they just don't go very far.
There just isn't enough public support to restrict fossil fuel usage with the corresponding increase in energy costs. Even in Germany, there is still no support for phasing out subsidies for dirty coal! and increasing energy prices have become a political issue, even if only small carbon reductions have been achieved.
So, I was heartened to read this from a panel with Summers, Lomborg, Tabarrok, and Cowen as all the speakers agreed that basic research was the only real solution.