Part 7/14:
Addressing historical environmental mistakes, Lomborg discusses the impact of leaded gasoline, which was added to improve engine performance but caused a dramatic IQ decline across populations. Its removal led to a significant recovery in cognitive health, exemplifying how science and policy can rectify widespread errors.
Similarly, he points out that modern efforts to reduce air pollution—through better scrubbers, regulation, and cleaner energy—have drastically decreased pollution-related deaths, underscoring that societal progress on pollution is real and measurable.