A New Green Economy?
Posted October 31st, 2008 at 1.34pm in Energy and Environment.
Perhaps the oddest reaction to the financial meltdown and looming recession comes from environmental activists and bureaucrats who see it as a rationale to transform the economy along green lines. They argue that the old brown economy has shown itself to have reached the point where it no longer generates wealth, and that it is time for a paradigm shift towards an environmentally sustainable economy. For a description of this agenda, check out the UN’s Global Green New Deal.
To listen to them, the economic problems have little to do with things like Fannie or Freddie or policies pushing subprime mortgages in a housing market that was bound to cool. No, the slump was caused by too many coal-fired power plants and not enough wind turbines, too much gasoline and not enough cellulosic ethanol, and a severe lack of organic foods and recycling programs.
The general idea is that economic growth and prosperity will be restored by heavy handed federal mandates and subsidies for a bunch of politically correct alternatives that couldn’t survive without massive handouts. This bizarre opportunism would be funny if were knew that the new Congress and President won’t take it seriously, but they very likely will.
- Author: Ben Lieberman
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October 31, 2008 Lynwood Dunn, North Carolina writes:
Moonshine used to be popular around here, and the funny thing is it is made the same way ethanol is, which requires a ton of corn for a couple of gallons of white lightning. The amount of fuel this process would provide this country is so miniscule it tends to be rediculous. I do believe if we would give nice incentives to companies to develop energy efficient vehicles and energy producing alternatives our free market would solve the problem. For now I believe clean coal, nuclear and natural gas, with a dose of drilling will do us good. Let’s quit making the people who hate us rich. Thank’s