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
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UN report says tree planting can result in more greenhouse gas emissions
It is common knowledge that trees act as carbon sinks. Through the process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen that we…
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Congress can end California’s EV mandates
This week, the House is expected to vote on three important Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions of disapproval that would repeal California waivers granted…
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Earth Day is broken—only private conservation can fix it
With this week’s 2025 Earth Day came the usual media and progressive lawmaker fanfare lauding government programs and regulatory solutions to environmental concerns. But…
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Green with Greed
“Green” groups do quite well for themselves courtesy of business and foundations derived from corporate wealth (Pew, Ford, Rockefeller, Heinz, MacArthur). Still, the green…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 18
Politics World Summit Nearly Global Warming-Free There was little talk about global warming at the World Summit on Sustainable…
Op-Eds
‘A Totalitarian Effort’
Stanley Kubrick may be gone, but his visions of a hellish future corrupted by the abuses of corporatist government are alive and well. Nowhere are…
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Russian Roulette
Russia played the first Kyoto card at this “World Summit on Sustainable Development,” and it just might be an Ace. A member of the Russian…
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August/September 2002 Edition of CEI Update
Full Document Available in PDF Articles in this edition: “Nothing But Hot…
Op-Eds
Careful What You Wish For
As over 100 judges from around the world at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) call for more lawyers to file more environmental lawsuits,…
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Cirque De Solar Power
Oh dear. It’s only Day 3 of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and already I’m pleading with Amazon to deliver “Out of…
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Bush’s Kyoto Secret
The “World Summit on Sustainable Development” got underway today amid several key questions. How would anti-globalization – and, possibly, worse — forces attempt to disrupt…
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Wealth Of Delusion
Half of the expected 50,000-plus delegates are already gathered here at the United Nations’ World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), scheduled to last a fortnight. …
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 17
Politics Greens Want Funds to Offset Summit Greenhouse Emissions Several observers have noted the hypocrisy of tens of thousands of politicians, bureaucrats, and environmental activists…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 16
Politics Global warming was put on the international map during the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, but is scarcely to be seen in the…
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Dream The Impossible Scheme
The Bush administration came out of the box on the energy issue with a reasonably positive mix of supply-side strategies – they are even willing…
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Texans Won’t Be Driven To California’s CO2 Craziness
While many people call Austin the “San Francisco of the South,” thankfully it's just about the only thing that the Lone Star State has…
Study
Modern Developments In The Treaty Process
Full Document Available in PDF Treaties are agreements between nations, or states.
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Why Enron Loved Kyoto, And the EU Shouldn’t
What do the proposed European Commission directive for trading CO2 emissions credits and the current malaise affecting American corporate life have in common?<?xml:namespace…
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Vol. VI, No.15
Politics State AGs Bash Bush with Climate Action Report Attorneys General from eleven States sent a letter to President George W.
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Why The “Sense Of Congress On Climate Change” Provision Should Be Stripped From H.R. 4
The findings presented in the Sense of the Congress provisions do not rest on a sound scientific footing and if carried out would…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 14
Politics California CO2 Bill Passes The California legislature passed a bill on July…
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Climate-Science Shuffle
President Bush amazed supporters and detractors alike with his recent submission to the United Nations, “Climate Action Report 2002” (CAR), debuting a U.S. position that…
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The Anti-Power Act: A Jeffords Special
Thursday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will vote on whether to approve S. 556, “the Clean Power Act,” proposed by James Jeffords,…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 13
Economics “Clean Power Act” Up for Senate Committee Vote The U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to mark up and…
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Another Hot Shoe May Drop
Certainly, the Bush administration recently contradicting the president’s position, adopting to a great extent global warming alarmism in report to the United Nations,…
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Multi-Pollutant Madness
Today the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold its fourth hearing on the “Clean Power Act” (S.556) proposed by Sen. James…
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“Multi-Pollutant” Regulation Of Carbon Dioxide: Shrewd Politics, Bad Policy
Full Document Available in PDF Although President Bush…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 12
Politics Bush Administration Stumbles into Quicksand With the release of a report on global warming, the Bush Administration has…
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Bush Must Withdraw Global Warming Report
The left’s latest attack on President Bush’s opposition to the Kyoto global warming treaty was launched with not even a whisper of warning on June…
Comment
Joint Letter To President Bush On The EPA’s Climate Action Report
Dear President Bush, We write to share our concerns with Climate Action Report 2002, which your administration recently transmitted to the United Nations Framework…
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CEI’s Marlo Lewis submits comments to DOE on the proposed Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program
Letter available in pdf format This letter responds to the Deparment of Energy's request for comment on the Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse…
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Is Bush Playing Treaty Chicken?
As one of the first manifestations of President George W. Bush's supposed campaign of foreign policy “unilateralism,” last year he rejected, withdrew from or otherwise…
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The Hot Air from the Bush Administration
Well, Bush didn’t sign the Kyoto Global Warming protocol. It’s too bad he couldn’t leave well enough alone. While continuing to insist that…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 11
Politics Japan, Denmark Parliaments OK Kyoto Protocol Japan’s House of Representatives approved legislation on May 21…
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Campaign ExxonMobil Caters To The Greens
Before its cataclysmic fall, Enron had become the darling of the environmental movement. The company tirelessly pandered to environmentalists to bolster its green image…
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Foreign Entanglements: Dumping The Rome Treaty Raises Further Questions
The Bush administration has formally informed the United Nations of U.S. withdrawal from the Treaty of Rome. That agreement, signed by a departing President…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 10
Politics U.S. Out of Kyoto For A Decade – At Least There is no chance that the United States…
Op-Eds
Greenhouse Road To Ruin: Bad Regulations In Cali
A bill careening down the legislative turnpike in California threatens Americans' freedom of mobility everywhere. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />…
Newsletter
Whatever Happened to Global Warming?
The Frontiers of Freedom Institute U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop (ret.) Chairman The Science…
Op-Eds
Heed Hillary’s Herald
Will Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) intercede with Sacramento politicians to protect the California marketplace for pickup trucks, minivans, and SUVs? Senator Feinstein is not widely…
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Ice Shelf Collapse Triggers Debate
In February and March, an ice shelf known as the Larsen B ice shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula collapsed, leading many to raise once…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 9
Politics Senate Passes “Energy” Bill Loaded with Global Warming Policies On April 25, the Senate overwhelmingly passed comprehensive energy legislation by…
Op-Eds
Cali’s Kyoto: Working Off A Bad Model – Corrected
View The Correction To This Article Undaunted by the mess they made of California's electricity marketplace, Sacramento politicians…
News Release
Energy Bill Joins Senate Hall Of Shame
Washington, D.C., April 25, 2002 — The energy bill passed by the Senate today will do nothing to increase energy supplies but will…
Op-Eds
California Scheming
The Washington Post first reported internal memos revealing that the vocal “global warming” movement and its 1997 Kyoto Protocol were fruit of a stealthy and…
News Release
Senators May Support Small Business Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements In Energy Bill
Washington, DC, April 24, 2002-Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) may support provisions being debated and voted on the Senate floor on Thursday that would…
News Release
Senators Snowe, Collins to Ask Poland Spring Water be Registered as “Climate Change Pollutant”
Washington, D.C., April 24, 2002 — Senate staffers cite Maine Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins as supporting legislation calling…
Op-Eds
Controlling Hypocritical Authority: Gore’s Expertise
Former Vice President Al Gore published an opinion piece in this Sunday's New York Times, “The Selling of an Energy…
Op-Eds
IPCC’s ex-“Political” Scientist
Environmental activists are attacking the Bush administration for orchestrating the ouster of an American scientist, Robert Watson, as chairman of the…
News Release
Rejecting ANWR Not in Best Interest Of Country
Washington, D.C., April 18, 2002—“The Senate has rejected opening ANWR to oil and gas exploration on the basis of utterly dishonest arguments from Senators Kerry,…
Newsletter
Vol. VI, No. 8
Politics Cool Winds Blowing In Canada Canadian ratification of the Kyoto Protocol continues to recede into the future, as provincial opposition…
News Release
Senate Should Drop Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Registry
Statement of Myron Ebell<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> Director of Global Warming Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute …
News Release
Senate Should Open Arctic For Exploration Now
Washington, D.C., April 8, 2001—The issue of whether to allow oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is expected to be…
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