Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump have faced sharp criticism from Vinod Khosla for their recent conversation on climate change, which has been widely condemned as uninformed and misleading. The discussion took place during a much-publicized interview on X (formerly Twitter), where Musk attempted to educate Trump on the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions and the benefits of renewable energy. Musk highlighted two key reasons for embracing renewable energy: the depletion of petroleum supplies and the health risks associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) buildup.
Musk, acting as a tutor to Trump, explained that CO2 levels beyond 1,000 parts per million (ppm) could cause headaches and nausea, emphasizing that even without the threat of global warming, high CO2 levels would make the environment uncomfortable. Trump, however, downplayed climate change, suggesting that rising sea levels would simply create more opportunities for real estate. He argued that the real threat to the world is not global warming but “nuclear warming,” referencing the growing number of countries with significant nuclear capabilities.
This is just completely insane:
Elon Musk goes into an incredibly detailed breakdown of CO2, clean energy and climate change that I think is very moderate and fair, and Trump responds quickly turning the conversation on its head to make it about the dangers of nuclear bombs.… pic.twitter.com/W9HggbOxpb
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) August 13, 2024
The conversation has been widely criticized, particularly for Musk’s lack of response to Trump’s dismissive comments. Indian-American businessman and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and veteran climate activist Bill McKibben were among those who condemned the discussion. Khosla took to X to call out Musk’s CO2-level tutorial as “dumb,” arguing that the focus on 1,000 ppm is misguided. He pointed out that at 500 ppm, the likelihood of catastrophic climate impacts increases significantly, and we are currently at 420 ppm. Khosla also criticized Musk for downplaying the reality of climate change and for not holding oil and gas companies accountable for their role in exacerbating the crisis.
McKibben echoed these sentiments, labeling the conversation as “the dumbest climate conversation of all time” and expressing disappointment in Musk’s apparent shift towards climate change denial. He lamented that Musk, once a strong advocate for combating climate change, has now become a denier of scientific consensus. The backlash against Musk and Trump’s conversation highlights the ongoing struggle to address the climate crisis effectively and the dangers of spreading misinformation on such a critical issue.