There was an article in this past weekend's National Post entitled, "Children enlisted as 'Climate Cops', U. K. utility ad campaign raises Orwellian fears". I won't comment here on whether or not the reaction to a U.K. utility's climate change and energy conservation campaign has been blown out of proportion. But I will say this to readers of the National Post (especially to those who are principled conservatives): if you don't want the government telling you how to live, if you don't want your friends and neighbours looking over your shoulder and checking your energy consumption habits, if you don't want the problems of climate change and fossil fuel dependence being turned over to the 'Climate Police', then support the implementation of a carbon tax. For conservatives who like less government, the best way to deal with climate change is to tilt the playing field, and eliminate the current, unfair advantage that burning fossil fuels enjoys, that of being able to pollute for free. People will then be 'free to choose' (C'mon C's! Put a smile on Milton Friedman's face. Join your economists who support a carbon tax!) how to respond to this tilt - change driving habits, use less hot water, conserve electricity, heat with wood, insulate, or whatever.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
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2 comments:
That seems reasonable. It's a lot like the massive corporate pig farms dumping manure in our rivers ... burning gasoline is nothing but externalizing the costs of your life on to other people's health.
Yes, but I believe that manure is now too valuable to just dump 'in our rivers'.
Aren't higher commodity prices great?
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