To stop global warming, end eco-extremism Pragmatic solutions provide the best options
Kenneth Green both humanity and the environment. A improvements in vehicle fuel economy; failure of the control systems on dams, national building efficiency standards; Every now and then, the avuncular chemical facilities, and nuclear reactors, subsidies to renewable energy; provin- mask falls away from David Suzuki’s for example, would have led to cata- cial efficiency standards for homes, busi- face, and we catch a glimpse of his in- strophic events around the world. nesses, utilities, and industries (with ner revolutionary—and it isn’t a pretty More recently, in a speech to students audits); zoning that would force people sight. In fact, it’s both anti-humanist at McGill University, Suzuki said, “What into high-density living; zoning that and authoritarian. It’s also essentially I would challenge you to do is to put a would intentionally make automobile anti-environmental, since his is the kind lot of effort into trying to see whether use less desirable, including traffic calm- of extreme environmentalism that has there’s a legal way of throwing our so- ing, fewer driving lanes, and additional bred an anti-environmental movement called leaders into jail because what bicycle lanes; and other changes (David which presumes that claims of environ- they’re doing [to the environment] is a Suzuki Foundation, 2008). Though Su- mental degradation are just zuki has recently come out a green cloak for the pro- in support of the British motion of massive expan- The problem with all this extremism Columbia revenue-neutral sion of governmental con- carbon tax (David Suzuki trol and collectivism. And isn’t simply the degradation of public Foundation, 2008), he is there certainly are reasons discourse; it is also the inevitable not willing to simply price for thinking this way. carbon and let the market An early example of Su- polarization that results whenever one work; in addition to carbon zuki’s extremism occurred group stakes out an extreme position. pricing, he seems to want in 1999, as the world pon- the expansion of govern- dered, with what turned ment to the point where out to be excessive fear, it controls everything that the potential for computer networks to criminal act” (Gunter, 2008). The Su- people do with energy—and that is al- fail with the beginning of the new mil- zuki Foundation tried to pass off this lat- most everything that people do. lennium. In an interview with Reuters, est authoritarian outburst as a rhetorical Of course, Suzuki isn’t alone in stak- Suzuki opined, “I hope there is a major flourish rather than a real suggestion, ing out the extremes of the environ- glitch. It might give Mother Earth a rest.” but as analysts point out, the fact that he mental movement. Various European He also said, “I think it would be won- said virtually the same thing to another eco-leaders have come out with similar derful if things collapsed for a few days,” audience in January 2008 probably indi- extremist statements. George Monbiot, cheerfully admitting that “chaos would cates that he meant it (Gunter, 2008). a columnist for the Guardian newspa- happen... but it would be an amazing And what does Suzuki want Cana- per in London, has suggested that “ev- opportunity for people to really start dian leaders to do, lest they be incarcer- ery time someone dies as a result of thinking about things—and a global ated? Suzuki’s climate action plan calls floods in Bangladesh, an airline execu- collapse would really make people think” for increasing governmental control tive should be dragged out of his office (Eichler, 1999, Dec. 22). However, such over virtually all aspects of Canadian and drowned” (Monbiot, 2006, Dec. 5). a “major glitch” would have actually life. On his list are tighter carbon emis- Several Americans have also chimed in had astonishingly bad consequences for sion standards for industry; mandatory on the “jail them or drown them” theme.
www.fraserinstitute.org Fraser Forum 04/08 11 11 To stop global warming, end eco-extremism
Columnist Ellen Goodman, for example, a wrenching transformation of soci- the American Meteorological Society has written, “Let’s just say that global ety will not be necessary. (1993: 274) for any TV weatherman who is seen to warming deniers are now on a par with express skepticism that human behav- Holocaust deniers” (Goodman, 2007, The former US vice president actu- iour is creating a climate catastrophe.” In Feb. 9). As well, David Roberts, a blog- ally turns up the heat, so to speak, in An mid-November, the retired founder of ger at the environmental website, Grist, Inconvenient Truth, in which he employs The Weather Channel declared global also suggests what we should do with the holocaust-invoking “denier” rhetoric warming to be “the greatest scam in his- such people: “When we’ve finally gotten to tar anyone who disagrees with him. tory,” adding, “I am amazed, appalled serious about global warming, when the In addition to implicitly associating “de- and highly offended by it. Global Warm- impacts are really hitting us and we’re in niers” with the Nazis, Gore compares ing; It is a SCAM. Some dastardly scien- a full worldwide scramble to minimize anyone who is critical of extreme climate tists with environmental and political the damage, we should have war crimes change scenarios to the dreaded “tobac- motives manipulated long term scien- trials for these bastards—some sort of co scientists” of yesteryear (Gore, 2006). tific data to create an illusion of rapid climate Nuremberg" (Roberts, 2006). The problem with all this extremism global warming” (D’Aleo, 2007). And of course, the "big kahuna" of cli- isn’t simply the degradation of public What is really needed now is a prag- mate policy-mongering, Al Gore, pulls discourse; it is also the inevitable polar- matic middle-ground—one that seeks out all the stops in his books, Earth in ization that results whenever one group solutions to environmental problems stakes out an extreme that are compatible with democratic position that would capitalism, a system that provides in- People respond to incentives. Show result in others losing numerable benefits to all North Ameri- them that you intend to stop them out, whether that loss cans. Unfortunately, with extremists like is monetary, loss of David Suzuki regularly politicizing what from doing what they wish to do, social prestige, a loss should really be more of an engineering and they will oppose it every time. of consumer choice, a exercise, it is unlikely that we will see loss of political repre- such improvements any time soon. sentation, or some oth- the Balance and An Inconvenient Truth, er loss. It is almost a law of social motion: References which together constitute an environ- every action generates an equal and op- mental manifesto of governmental ex- posite reaction. Or, as economists would Crichton, Michael (2004). State of Fear. pansion. In Earth in the Balance, Gore argue, people respond to incentives. Harper Collins. wrote that saving the environment is the Show them that you intend to stop them Cullen, Heidi (2006). Junk Controver- “central organizing principle” for civiliza- from doing what they wish to do, and sy, not Junk Science. Blog. Forecast tion: they will oppose it every time. Instead Earth (December 21). 12 12Fraser Forum 04/08 12 www.fraserinstitute.org climate/Briefing_Note_-_BC_Bud- get_2008.pdf>. Accessed on March 14, 2008. A lack of Durkin, Martin (Director) (2007). The Great Global Warming Swindle [DVD]. WAGtv.