The Adam Carolla Show – November 5, 2025

Guest: Bjorn Lomborg
Topic: “Why the Climate Panic Is Over + Why Bill Gates Has Changed His Tune”
Notable Segment: Conversation with climate expert, author, and commentator Bjorn Lomborg
Co-hosts/Recurring Cast: Jason "Mayhem" Miller (The News)

Overview:

In this episode, Adam Carolla interviews Bjorn Lomborg, Danish author and climate commentator, exploring the recent “pivot” in Bill Gates’ climate messaging, why the world should move beyond climate panic, the pitfalls of “climate industry,” and how innovation, not alarmism, can best address global warming. Adam and Bjorn debate pressing issues—like the efficacy of current climate policy, the celebrity and political machine behind it, and what real solutions for global challenges look like. The episode continues with a spirited news segment and Adam’s classic comedic rants.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Bill Gates’ Changing Message on Climate

Timestamps: [04:35]–[07:42]

• Adam: Opens by noting a shift in Bill Gates’ language about climate—a move toward realism over alarmism.
  • “It’s sort of a turnaround … it’s something that I think people like you have been saying for a long time.” [04:35]
• Bjorn: Explains Gates’ statement:
  • “Global warming is real ... but it’s not the end of the world. And that’s incredibly important because then people can stop running around scared like chickens with no heads...” [05:38]
  • Gates’ focus on human welfare and practical outcomes, especially for poorer countries where immediate issues are more pressing than long-term climate threats.
  • “Let’s focus on what actually matters, which is human welfare... is this the best way to help human welfare?” [06:39]
  • Much climate spending is “an incredibly costly way of achieving very little in 100 years.”

2. Climate as Industry and Grift

Timestamps: [07:42]–[11:47]

• Adam: Draws comparison between the homelessness “industry” and the climate “industry”—systems where an initial issue becomes institutionalized, with billions spent but little effect.
  • “It becomes its own sort of behemoth … climate feels almost like the same grift, even if it didn’t start as a grift.” [07:42]
• Bjorn: Agrees but adds climate is “not billions, it’s trillions.”
  • “Climate is not billions, it’s trillions. Right. We last year spent more than $2 trillion on climate policies. Over the last 20 years, we spent more than $14 trillion.” [08:59]
  • Notes emergence of powerful lobbies, new industries “built up their brand,” mass subsidies, and distorted policy.
  • Calls out the “click economy” and the exaggeration of weather disasters for clicks.
  • Critiques policies that “do nothing for human welfare” and missed opportunities for genuine progress.

3. Celebrity, Politicians, and the Pressure to Conform

Timestamps: [11:47]–[15:04]

• Adam: Observes how celebrities amplify climate narratives, providing free endorsements and pressure to conform—similar to Hollywood’s COVID response:
  • “You could either really believe in climate change or you could just go along to get along. … There was no third option.” [11:47]
• Bjorn: Adds politicians harness existential climate fear for votes:
  • “A politician’s wet dream... you can go on and say the world is ending, but if you vote for me, I'll fix it.” [15:20]
  • Notes that “what’s the harm?” complacency isn’t harmless—costs are now visible and growing.

4. Global Responsibility: Is the West Being Unrealistic?

Timestamps: [16:11]–[21:25]

• Adam: Questions the logic of Western climate policy if China, India, and the developing world remain unconcerned.
  • “We act like there's really like a 7 mile radius on the west side of LA that acts like we're in charge of the world … but if India and China don't get on board … how much control do we really have?” [16:11]
• Bjorn: Offers global emissions breakdown:
  • “The whole rich world … will emit just about 13% of emissions [by end of century] … almost all of it is going to come from right now, relatively poor countries because they want to stop being poor.” [17:54]
  • Reminds listeners one-third of the world cooks with wood or dung, “dreaming of gas-fired stoves.” [19:31]
  • The scale of Western reductions cannot offset emissions from developing nations unless clean energy is made cheap and scalable.

5. Real-World Energy: Innovation Over Ideology

Timestamps: [21:25]–[33:20]

• Adam: Highlights Germany’s renewable energy pivot, dependency on Russia, and the resultant geopolitical risks.
• Discusses:
  • Failings of wind/solar for reliable base-load power ("you're just going to make it feel like we're cosplaying a little bit…” [19:31])
  • Endorsement of nuclear power: only known, reliable, scalable, low-emission source today.
  • The promise and challenges of 4th-generation modular nuclear: cheaper, safer, potentially mass-producible.
  • Geothermal possibilities, thanks to advances in drilling/fracking.
• Quotes (Bjorn):
  • “…in the US and most rich nations, [nuclear power] is incredibly costly ... a lot of this is probably because of unnecessary red tape.” [23:00]
  • “China … they've just spent a ton of [nuclear plants] and they're … building them cheaper and cheaper.” [23:00]
  • “Fourth generation nuclear … could actually end up powering the world.” [26:10]

6. Regulation, Safety, and the Cost of Progress

Timestamps: [28:46]–[32:19]

• Adam: Argues overregulation is stifling viable progress and innovation, using nuclear and auto safety as examples.
  • “People don’t realize how stifling regulation is. They just assume it’s … safety, and that’s fine. But at a certain point it’s not feasible.” [28:46]
• Bjorn: Affirms need for balanced regulation:
  • “Regulation has cost and you need to weigh them against the benefits. … fourth generation nuclear is going to be inherently safe … much cheaper…” [31:08]

7. Climate Change: What’s Rational, What’s Hysteria?

Timestamps: [33:20]–[55:36]

• Adam: Questions panic about sea level rise using Malibu as an example (citing unchanged water levels in 80+ years)—contrasts dire narratives with on-the-ground realities.
  • “The sea level has not risen at all since they started building along the ocean … literally, it’s not moving.” [43:18]
• Bjorn: Fact-checks: globally, sea levels up ~10 inches over 150 years, too little to notice locally; well within human capacity to adapt (as in Holland).
  • “Holland is probably the best example … 40% of the country is below sea level … the total [50-year] cost is $10 billion. … for a rich country, that’s … very close to nothing.” [47:57]
• Psychological Harm:
  • Both Adam and Bjorn warn of widespread “climate anxiety” and despair among young people, fueled by political and media narratives.
  • “We’ve essentially talked young girls out of wanting to have families by hook or by crook … they’re depressed, they don’t feel like there’s a future.” (Adam, [50:31])
  • Kamala Harris’ statement on youth anxiety is played and critiqued: “That’s because that’s what you’ve been telling them for the last 10 years.” [52:34]
• Economic Perspective:
  • Bjorn: “Climate economics…by the end of the century…[climate will have imposed] a 2-3% cost [on global GDP]. … The average person [will be] 450% as rich as today. … not the end of the world.” [54:23]

8. Africa & The Limits of Paternalism

Timestamps: [55:36]–[64:15]

• Adam: Asks why Africa remains poor despite decades of foreign aid, questioning if external efforts can succeed.
• Bjorn:
  • Notes substantial recent progress in Africa (declining infant mortality, more education), but also points to external hypocrisy:
    • “We went to Africa and asked to buy all of their gas … but we also said, you can’t use it. … That’s just terrible, in my view, immoral.” [57:41]
  • Outlines actionable, cost-effective strategies: education technology (tablets in Malawi), secure land tenure, and proven, basic economic reforms.
  • “Ask, how much good do these policies do for human welfare? Don’t cut tons of CO2 to help people a tiny bit in 100 years. Focus on doing some stuff that’ll actually help them right now.” [64:15]

9. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "Let's focus on what actually matters, which is human welfare”
  (Bjorn Lomborg, [06:39])

• “Climate is not billions, it’s trillions. Right. ... There is a lot of goodwill ... But there's obviously also a lot of people who've latched on.”
  (Bjorn Lomborg, [08:59])

• “You had something where you could blame anything on climate, and it literally has been blamed on pretty much everything.”
  (Bjorn Lomborg, [08:59])

• "We’ve also made most young people miserable because they think there’s no future, which is absolutely untrue.”
  (Bjorn Lomborg, [08:59])

• “It’s not Guatemala. When an earthquake hits out here in Los Angeles, it’s completely different because we planned for it, we understand it and we mitigated it.”
  (Adam Carolla, [04:35])

• “We are never going to get these countries on board unless we find a solution that’s actually going to fix us. That is something that delivers a lot of energy ... electricity really cheaply and reliably and trustworthy. And we’re not there yet.”
  (Bjorn Lomborg, [19:31])

• “We’re talking about 5, 10% global GDP. People [are] just not going to be able to afford that.”
  (Bjorn Lomborg, [15:47])

• “You’re not allowed to question the person. If they say they’re a woman, they’re a woman. And then they can go walk into the lady’s side of the locker room. It’s gonna happen nonstop.”
  (Adam Carolla, [104:02])

• Other recurring lines:

  • “It's not the end of the world.” (multiple)
  • “If you vote for me, I’ll fix it.”
  • “What is the actual improvement to human welfare?” (theme throughout)

Notable Segments and Timestamps

• Bill Gates’ new message — [04:35]–[07:42]
• “Climate as industry” and waste in policies — [07:42]–[11:47]
• Celebrity/political pressure and ideology — [11:47]–[15:04]
• The West vs. China/India’s emissions — [16:11]–[21:25]
• Nuclear, renewables, and innovation — [21:25]–[33:20]
• Sea level rise: panic vs. reality — [43:18]–[49:37]
• Climate anxiety and youth despair — [50:31]–[54:19]
• Africa and real solutions — [55:36]–[64:15]

Recommended Reading & Resources:

• Bjorn Lomborg’s books:

  • False Alarm (“Yeah, sure there’s a problem, not the end of the world... stop making your kids scared.” [64:39])
  • Best Things First (on high-impact cost-effective interventions for global welfare)

• Bjorn on Twitter/X: @lomborg

Closing Notes/Overall Tone

• Literal, irreverent, and wry tone from Adam Carolla, punctuated by Bjorn’s measured realism.
• Blend of skepticism, humor, and pragmatic optimism; themes of problem-solving, importance of innovation, and critique of performative (and sometimes counterproductive) climate alarmism and bureaucracy.
• News and comedy segments pick up after the main discussion (from about [66:22] onward).

This summary captures the core arguments, key moments, and signature banter of a rich, far-ranging dialogue—useful for those seeking a skeptical, innovation-centric, and deeply human take on climate policy and advocacy.