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

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

Op-Eds

Thank You, Pew!

You've got to hand it to the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Pew Center on Global Climate…

Climate

News Release

Energy Legislation End Game in Senate

Contact for Interviews:     <?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

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 15

Politics   Senate Ready to Debate Climate Amendments to Energy Bill   Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has scheduled all…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 14

Politics   Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate Environment   The Democratic contenders for the White House focused on health issues at an…

Climate

Op-Eds

Tackling Junk Science

Environmental activists and their allies in the media, like The New York Times, are up in arms over the Bush Administration’s latest outbreak of good…

Climate

Op-Eds

Junking Junk Science

The term “junk science” has been one of the most powerful tools in ensuring that political and legal decisions are taken based on…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 13

Politics   NY Times Accuses White House of Censoring EPA Report   In a front-page story on June 19 and an…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 12

Politics   Scientists Revive Debate in Canada   An open letter published in Canada’s National Post on June 4 urges Paul…

Climate

Op-Eds

Common Sense

Recently, the House International Relations Committee approved a “Sense of Congress” resolution, introduced by Rep. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), that embraces the Kyoto Protocol's…

Climate

News Release

Energy Rationing Coupon

Coupon available in pdf format This transferable coupon may be redeemable for ONE valuable lump of coal or equivalent amount of other…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 11

Politics Energy Bill Prompts Rash of Proposals The Senate energy bill, S. 14, when published in draft form contained a climate change title.  Three…

Climate

Op-Eds

Who Killed Kyoto?

We've heard it now for so long that it's drummed into our heads. President George W. Bush soured relations with the EU by refusing…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 10

Politics   Menendez Amendment Threatens State Department Bill   On May 7, the House International Relations Committee approved an amendment to the…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 9

Politics House Committee Will Take Up Sense of Congress Language on Climate The House International Relations Committee is scheduled to take up the State…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 8

Editor’s Note   This issue – our 149th – is the last issue for which Paul Georgia serves as managing editor.  Next week, he…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 7

Politics   Senate Draft Energy Bill Contains Global Warming Title   The majority staff of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee…

Climate

Op-Eds

A Backwards Step in U.S. Energy Policy

Which climate-related initiative poses the biggest threat to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />America’s economic future?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 6

Politics   Japan Rethinking Kyoto   Japan’s industrial sector is beginning to grouse about its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, which…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 5

Politics   Court Orders EPA to Hand Over Climate Change Documents   The Environmental Protection Agency has been ordered by the…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 4

Politics   Maine Bill Would Prevent Kyoto Implementation   In an attempt to thwart Kyoto-style legislation and Kyoto-related activities in Maine,…

Climate

News Release

Boost Your Environmental IQ Online

Washington, D.C., February 7, 2003—The Competitive Enterprise Institute is launching a new online feature, the "e-class" quiz, this week. The quiz, developed by CEI’s…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 3

Politics   Attorneys General Threaten Lawsuit   Attorneys general from three States-Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine-have notified the Bush administration of their…

Climate

Newsletter

VII, No. 2

Politics States Seek to Regulate CO2   The American Legislative Exchange Council has released a report on the activities of state legislatures…

Climate

Newsletter

Vol. VII, No. 1

Politics Cap-and-Trade-It’s Baaack!   Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) plan to introduce a bill that would employ a cap-and-trade…

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