More than a decade ago, former U.S. vice president Al Gore warned that "experts" were predicting the melting of the world's polar ice caps—in about five years' time. While such dire predictions have not come to pass, we constantly hear warnings about future effects of global warming. But is the prospect of climate change as catastrophic as many scientists and pundits make it out to be? What is the evidence used to justify those predictions? How ought we to think about the tradeoffs involved in policies seeking to curb carbon emissions? And how can we discuss and debate energy and environmental policy in constructive ways?

On Tuesday, March 20th, Manhattan Institute senior fellow Oren Cass (a former Bain & Company consultant, policy adviser to U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and one of Politico's top 50 "thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American politics") will join us at YLC to discuss, among other subjects, how to have rational, thoughtful climate change conversations. We will cover topics such as the Paris climate accord, green energy and the economy, and the effect of fossil fuels on global climate.