Like Lemmings to the Sea

Will President Bush join in the chorus of dead-end energy proposals?

By Roy Spencer
Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Today’s announcement by President Bush on strategies to limit global warming has yet to come, but unless he is ready to unveil a new and miraculous source of energy that produces no carbon dioxide, one can only assume that he will simply be adding his voice to the many other lemmings who are calling for a mass migration to the nearest cliff from which we can all jump.

The fact is that there is simply nothing we can do — short of shutting down the global economy — that will substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Prosperity requires access to abundant, affordable energy. Thus, any mandated limits or taxes meant to slow the use of fossil fuels will limit prosperity as well, period.

The current wave of political pandering to public misperceptions about where our energy comes from would be funny if it weren’t so deadly serious. There is simply no way to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions as long as increasing numbers of people around the world desire to make a better life for themselves and their families.

While the developed countries take for granted conveniences like heating, air conditioning, refrigerated food, and the freedom to travel, our politicians continue to feed the myth that we have any realistic alternatives to carbon-based fuels. With the possible exception of a very slow (several decade) transition from coal-fired power plants to nuclear ones, there are simply no other options that will make any measurable difference for future global temperatures.

Unfortunately, many businesses, including a few energy companies, are now joining in the fray. The illusion of “going green” as a way to Save the Earth might be a good marketing strategy, but it only reinforces the urban legend that Al Gore started in his movie by claiming that we can fix the global warming problem by buying compact fluorescent light bulbs, hybrid cars, and turning off the light when we leave the room.

These supposed solutions might make us feel better about ourselves, but the assumption that they will have an impact on global energy use is like assuming one plus one can equal one million. Yes, it is “doing something” about the problem, but it is doing something insignificant.

And all of this assumes that mankind is the primary cause of global warming anyway. You might be surprised to learn that there has never been a single scientific paper published which has ruled out natural climate variability for most of our current global-mean warmth. Not one.

Instead, since Mr. Carbon Dioxide was found at the scene of the crime — albeit without the murder weapon — there is no need to search for any other culprits or accomplices. The circumstantial evidence has convicted him. Even though Mr. Carbon Dioxide is necessary for life on Earth, we are now calling him derogatory names, like “pollutant.”

As the mass hysteria calling for an end to carbon dioxide production has accelerated, ethanol has arisen as the new messiah of radical environmentalism, promising to assuage our guilty enviro-consciences when we choose to starve more of the world’s poor.

Now is the time for the people to speak up. We need leaders who will tell us to stop running toward the edge of the cliff. That cliff is fast approaching, and unless someone has the courage to stand up for the rights of humans to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the momentum we have generated due to our irrational fears will cause us all to topple into the sea.