Why “Environmental” Groups Have Gone Mad

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I am sure that I have long since been ex-communicated by most “environmental” groups, but I still regard myself as an environmentalist in that I believe that the natural world should be preserved when it can be shown that such action will also be economically beneficial. My goal is to improve both human welfare and the environment; the current environmental groups claim that they are reducing the impact of humans on the environment. But they are actually making humans and the environment worse off in most of their high profile activities. I do not see how anyone can call himself or herself an “environmentalist” and advocate any of the following goals of many “environmental” organizations:

o Reducing Earth’s level of atmospheric CO₂. As discussed previously, if there is any real danger from the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere it is that it is dangerously low. Making CO₂ emissions lower increases the risk of CO₂ plant starvation during the next ice age, and with it, the food supply for most of the world’s human, animal, plant populations. Those who advocate lowering the atmospheric CO₂ levels are really advocating mass starvation of most plants and animals, including humans. I find this absolutely reprehensible, particularly when every climate-related argument for reducing CO₂ emissions has been found to be scientifically invalid, including the claim that human activities are increasing atmospheric global warming by increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels.

o Chopping up or frying millions of birds and bats who encounter wind or solar farms. Birds and bats are probably the biggest consumers of insects injurious to humans and other animals. Decimating them by the use of ultra costly wind and solar projects is both unwise and anti-environmental. We need as many birds and bats as we can get, and we need as low a population of injurious insects (which many birds and bats eat) as possible.

o Preventing the use of DDT, the only economical pesticide with a proven record of preventing malaria but not harming humans or birds, in less developed countries. Outlawing the use of DDT condemned tens of millions to death and hundreds of millions to one of the most debilitating diseases still rampant in the less developed world.

o Opposing the use of fracking to lower the cost of extracting oil and natural gas. Fracking and associated technology is quite safe and one of the best technologies to increase production of oil and natural gas at a lower cost. It is forcing OPEC to keep prices of these vital fuels lower than they otherwise would be. It does have the disadvantage that fracking for natural gas reduces emissions of CO₂ compared to coal, but this is well worth it for providing the advantages of improving human lives by using plentiful, inexpensive gas and oil. There are alleged to be some minor risks, but there are ways to reduce even these rather than banning the use of fracking. Fracking increases human welfare, which is strongly associated with an improved environment.

o Increasing the cost of using energy to assist humans in their daily tasks by favoring unreliable, intermittent, and more expensive sources. Increasing the cost of using energy by raising its cost will decrease its use and thus human welfare and economic productivity, which are strongly associated with an improved environment as humans turn to such issues as their basic needs are satisfied.

o Pushing down the reliability of electric power systems. The poster child for this is the State of South Australia, which has now suffered from five state electricity blackouts in the last six months as a result of closing down dependable fossil fuel generating stations in favor of unreliable “renewable” sources.

o Pushing a very intolerant version of climate alarmism which according to one study has had a cost of roughly $1.5 trillion per year and is based on invalid science. These resources could have been used to really improve human welfare and the environment.

It is long past time for “environmental” groups to do something constructive that will make life on Earth better rather than worse. What they have done in recent years have resulted in all costs and no benefits. They have been taken over by left wing radicals, who are now trying to control the use of energy, which is drastically decreasing human welfare. This hurts humans including lowering their standard of living, which means they will do less to preserve the environment because their basic needs will be less adequately met.

via Carlin Economics and Science http://ift.tt/1gVT2t3

April 6, 2017 at 08:51AM