It’s that time of year again when the world’s elite and foremost climate authorities gather to drum up more ways to financially bankrupt countries in the name of global warming. Many of the “Do as I say, not as I do” crowd will fly in on their private jets to discuss ways in which us lesser mortals can drive less, consume less, but pay more.
This weekend kicks off the 28th anniversary of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) where 197 nations plus the European Union “gather to work together on solutions to tackle climate change.” An astounding 70,000 attendees are estimated to descend upon Dubai for the two-week extravaganza. Many don’t even have an official role.
The carbon footprint alone for one of these climate conferences is enough to make Greta Thunberg blush.
COP27 in Egypt recorded 62,695 tons of Green House Gass (GHG) emissions, or 1.34 tons per person at the conference. The previous year in Glasgow was a record-setting 131,556, or 3.42 per attendee. For context, the worldwide average per person per year emissions is about four tons.
Emission-heavy private jets are increasingly becoming popular arrival methods, leaving many to wonder if these climate experts follow the age-old adage “rules for thee, but not for me.”
We’re told it’s for the greater good. Climate expert Gareth Redmond-King explained that these emissions are "negligible compared to the impact of decisions and commitments made at these summits." White House climate envoy John Kerry even once told us that flying his private jet to Iceland to receive his climate award was “the only choice for someone like me.”
Kerry and his fellow climate alarmist associates who warn of life-threatening rising sea levels also own oceanside mansions as part of their expansive real estate portfolios. Apparently, they’re not fazed by their own predictions.
This year’s itinerary will include the First Global Stock take of the Paris Climate Agreement. It shouldn’t be too difficult to assess where the COP agenda has led us.
Europe jumped feet first into a net-zero energy transition with aggressive anticarbon policies. They pursued less long-term purchase agreements in exchange for short-term pricing on crude oil and natural gas, and they have paid the price. Scrambling to acquire and pay for the much-needed reliable energy sources to compensate for intermittent and expensive renewables, Europe has experienced record-high energy prices, massive shortages, and decreased economic output. Countries have lost their economic powerhouse status.
The United States is not too far behind. And yet our elected officials fail to learn from Europe’s missteps. The same climate policies crippling Europe are infiltrating our state and federal rule books, proving that they are just as destructive here as abroad. We have experienced inflation, shortages, skyrocketing energy prices, and near catastrophic natural disasters. Green energy “solutions” are coming apart at the seams, exposing their vast shortcomings, yet our leaders are moving full steam ahead into the abyss.
COP conferences promote panic-driven proposals that demonize fossil fuels and push fickle renewables, while neglecting the benefits of adaptation. Climate may change, but so does human behavior in response.
Renowned Danish scientist Bjorn Lomborg explains how the biggest bias in studies of rising sea levels is the tendency to ignore human adaptation, exaggerating flood risks by as much as 1,300 times. These studies implausibly assume that no society will make any adaptation whatsoever, and yet, humans can and will mitigate potential risks. We should be focusing on growth-oriented policy instead. “Even stringent regulations won’t eliminate global warming . . . in the process these measures would slow economic growth, keeping more people poor.”
Meanwhile, Africa is continually told to stand down on fossil fuel development. Such prevention while the rest of the world consumes them in mass quantities reeks of hypocrisy. Roughly half the continent’s population lacks access to electricity; what they need is reliable and cheap energy. Nigerian vice-president Yemi Osingajo stated, “No one in the world has yet been able to industrialize using renewable energy.” It’s an absolute disservice for wealthy nations to fight for climate change at the expense of impoverished countries’ development and resilience. Banning fossil fuels only worsens their plight.
Heritage Foundation’s chief statistician estimates that even if all fossil fuels were eliminated from the United States, not even 0.2 degrees Celsius would be salvaged.
If COP28 wants to focus on “practical and positive solutions that drive progress for the climate and the economy” it would do well to embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy that promotes economic growth, prosperity, freedom, and individual well-being. Consumers deserve that much.
Kristen Walker is a policy analyst for the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, visit www.theamericanconsumer.org or follow us on Twitter @ConsumerPal.