Climate change is not a hoax, but as a political matter, it is a persistent pretext for expanding government control over the economy, redistributing wealth, and empowering unaccountable elites at the expense of voters and their elected representatives.

There is also the constant conflating of climate policy with climate science in order to make subjective and ideological policy choices seem as if the science dictates those choices. But science informs policy, it does not provide objective answers to policy questions. However, those who disagree with the climate policy choices favored by extremists are labeled with offensive terms like deniers.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute rejects climate policies that assume Americans and humans all over the world must sacrifice their quality of living, be guilted into radical life changes, and give up on improving their standard of living in the name of fighting climate change. Even if the United States no longer existed, there would be little to no meaningful impact on global temperatures. Therefore, the myriad of extreme policies are all costs and no gain.

Using the force of government to impose policies that severely hurt humans today, especially the poor, without any meaningful benefits is not just foolish but indefensible. And when such policies are advanced, the proponents of those policies should always be expected to explain how their policy choices would meaningfully affect global temperatures. When they are unable to provide answers, which will be the case, their policy choices should be quickly dismissed.

The best way to deal with any genuine climate concerns is to remove government obstacles that hinder innovation, reduce wealth, and undermine prosperity and opportunity. Economic liberty benefits Americans generally, and at the same time, it is also the world’s best climate policy. After all, the wealthiest and most prosperous nations are far more likely to develop solutions to such problems than other nations.

Featured Posts

Search Posts

Op-Eds

A Windfall of Bad Ideas

In the third-quarter of 2005, the major U.S. oil companies—ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP America, and Shell Oil Company—collectively earned almost $26 billion in profits, an…

Antitrust

Op-Eds

All Cost, No Benefit

Tomorrow, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on Sen. Jeff Bingaman's (D-N.M.) Climate and Economy Insurance Act. Originally…

Antitrust

Op-Eds

Short-Term Memory

An unwitting yet hideous example of the politically correct, “can't-we-move-on” short memories of the elites exposed in Tony Blankley's spot-on analysis “Short memories,…

Climate

Op-Eds

Color Energy Woes Green

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />  The global economy depends on available, affordable energy. Many place their hopes for…

Climate

Op-Eds

Broken Promises, Hot Air

A hastily assembled special negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol begins this week in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Bonn, Germany, to…

Climate

Op-Eds

Unbearable Legislation

The decision by the Secretary of the Interior to list the polar bear as “threatened” removes all doubt that the Endangered Species Act…

Climate

Op-Eds

Crazy on Carbon Dioxide

Full document available in pdf format. On <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />April 8, 2005, the D.C. circuit court of…

Climate

Op-Eds

Give Nestlé a Break

Generally, the European left has no love for big American financial firms. But some Swiss shareholder activists have embraced the U.S.’s largest proxy-advisory service in…

Climate

Newsletter

Cooler Heads Newsletter

Politics  Bush: “Kyoto Debate is Over” Following the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol on February 16, President George W. Bush once…

Climate

News Release

CEI Congratulates DOE on Emissions Decision

Contact:     <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Richard Morrison, 202.331.2273…

Climate

Op-Eds

Saudi Canadia?

People who fret over headlines such as “World’s oil problems are only going to get worse” must be growing downright panicky over recent news reporting…

Climate

Newsletter

Cooler Heads

Politics   Kyoto Goes into Force On February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol came into force internationally.  Thirty-four nations are now committed to reducing…

Climate

Op-Eds

Green War Gets Radical

  This book is a reality check for those who still view the environmental movement through rose-tinted glasses. While it does not sketch the rise…

Climate

Staff & Scholars

Sam Kazman

Counsel Emeritus

  • Antitrust
  • Automobiles and Roads
  • Banking and Finance

Marlo Lewis, Jr.

Senior Fellow

  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Energy and Environment

Ben Lieberman

Senior Fellow

  • Climate
  • Consumer Freedom
  • Energy

Jacob Tomasulo

Policy Analyst

  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Energy and Environment

Kevin D. Williamson

Writer in Residence

  • Climate
  • Energy and Environment