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.

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Vol. VII, No. 17

  Politics   Blackouts Mean Uncertainty for Energy Bill   The massive power outage that affected much of the northeastern…

Climate

Op-Eds

Environmentalists for Enron

CERES, the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies, is terribly concerned about corporate governance. Worried by the recent corporate scandals, this coalition of environmental groups and…

Climate

Op-Eds

Pots and Kettles

“The Administration's political interference with science has led to misleading statements by the President, inaccurate responses to Congress, altered web sites, suppressed agency…

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Vol. VII, No. 16

Politics Return of the Living Dead Energy Bill   In an extraordinary turn of events, on July 31, the Senate ceased debate…

Climate

News Release

Group Sues to Enforce Sound Science Law

Contact for Interviews: Jody Clarke, 202.331.2252 Washington, D.C., August 6, 2003—The Competitive Enterprise Institute today filed suit in federal court against the White House Office of Science…

Climate

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