By MATT KELLY
Staff Writer
In the 1970s, environmental alarmists declared that the world was cooling, prophesying an impending Ice Age.
This never happened.
When one rent seeking ideal fails, turn it on its head and try it again.
Today it is not global cooling, but global warming.
The alarmist’s believe that humans have contributed to the rise in carbon emissions. Human activity accounts for 25 percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere.
Moreover, the gas itself accounts for only .038 percent of the earth’s total atmosphere.
So even as a greenhouse gas, its significance is minimal.
The best way to explain how these false theories have gained support is through the concept outlined by Bruce Yandle in his book “Baptists, Bootleggers, and Global Warming”.
Baptists sought to eliminate alcohol on moral grounds, and bootleggers took advantage of these ideals for financial gains.
Environmentalists truly believe that we are a cancer to the earth, and regulators use these beliefs to increase their political control.
If you are an EPA employee the last thing you want to do is put yourself out of a job.
As air and water quality improves every year and the need for regulators has diminished, EPA officials must look for new ways justify their existence.
They have ensured their survival by listing carbon dioxide as a pollutant, thus requiring regulation.
Every breath an individual takes can be regulated by the government because, carbon dioxide, a compound that we omit in our respiratory process, is considered a pollutant, disregarding the fact that it is an essential part of a plant’s survival.
The issue has become an excellent means for promoting the careers of many self-serving scientists.
The government has monopolized research funding, and therefore scientists are tempted to request funding for studies that align with the ideals established by political interest groups.
Various business enterprises stand to gain financially from environmental regulations, as more regulations mean higher prices for various goods.
For this reason, many political interest groups make huge campaign contributions to ensure that policy decisions keep their interests alive.
Most people are ignorant of the facts, and thus easily swayed to ignore the fundamental costs imposed on their personal freedom.
Global warming is a myth.
It is a scheme developed by radical environmentalists, funded by political rent seekers, legitimized by government regulators and promoted by a willing media.