For decades, climate activists have exhorted people in the wealthy West to change their personal behavior to cut carbon emissions. We have been told to drive less, to stop flying and, in general, to reduce consumption—all in the name of saving the planet from ever higher temperatures.
The Covid-19 pandemic has now achieved these goals, at least temporarily. With the enormous reduction in global economic activity, it has been as if people around the world suddenly decided to heed the activists and curtail their travel and consumption….
…The lockdown economy of recent months has made consumption less discretionary, more a matter of basic needs. We should expect old habits to return as economies revive. But this unexpected experiment with less consumption and lower emissions does put the challenge in perspective. Even with the dramatic drop in economic activity in recent months, the world will still emit about 35 billion tons of carbon in 2020. Achieving global “net zero” emissions in three decades, as a growing number of activists and politicians advocate, would require the equivalent of a series of ongoing and ever-tightening lockdowns until 2050.
-Bjorn Lomborg (Wall Street Journal)
So if you have LOVED your 120 free trial of Socialism, just WAIT until it graduates to Greta Thunberg levels of standard of living. Obtaining “basic needs” will become much more problematic especially as the eco-Socialists attempt to move everyone to a Soviet Union resource allocation scheme (remember two left shoes, anyone?). To get to decarbonization will pretty much mean shutting down most of the economy for years (if not decades) so if you think your State (and California) economy was in the toilet these last few months, you ain’t see NOTHING yet.
Yes, your kids, barring any Black Swan tech innovation where energy really DOES become free, will have lower and lower standards of living that what any of you have now.
Except of course, said “leaders” of the “you will wear hair shirt” League. Think Hunger Games, folks.
(H/T: Cafe Hayek)
