Instead of being scared by sensationalist rhetoric into spending trillions on policies that won’t work, we should remember the remarkable progress nations have made on the environment as they have become richer, says Bjorn Lomborg

As we mark Earth Day, it’s tempting to believe that the world is on the brink of environmental collapse. We are constantly inundated by dire predictions of climate catastrophe and warnings about the planet’s imminent destruction. But this is misleading. Rather than spiralling into panic, we should take a moment to appreciate the remarkable progress we’ve made in improving the environment – and acknowledge that a key factor is prosperity.

When Earth Day was first marked 55 years ago, the world faced some grim environmental challenges. Rivers were catching fire and cities were choked with smog. Air and water pollution were rampant, especially in the industrialized West. Today, outdoor air pollution has declined dramatically in rich countries. Over the past three decades, death risk from air pollution has spectacularly declined by over 70 per cent, while waterways have become cleaner and nations reforested.

Yet, in poorer countries, the picture is more complicated. That’s because as nations come out of poverty, industrialisation at first increases pollution, before nations become rich enough to tackle it. But even in the developing world, progress is being made. Look at China – once........

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