[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Markets.]
By Gregory Wrightstone
President Biden and others who would stake the future of modern civilization on wind and solar technologies are ignoring former environmental activists who have now soured on so-called green energy. As better-informed people increasingly turn to responsible use of fossil fuels and nuclear power, political leaders continue to pursue a false “green” promise.
In Washington, D.C., radical anti-fossil fuel policies are being promoted that would devastate America’s economy. It continues to be promoted even though it is obvious that overreliance on wind energy contributed to costly and deadly power outages last month during a Texas cold snap and similar, but not so deadly results recently in Europe.
There are plenty of arguments against these “green” proposals made purportedly to save the planet from human-induced warming.
First, the underlying premise of looming planetary doom due to man-made warming is demonstrably false. By nearly every metric, Earth and its people are flourishing. As much as half the planet’s surface has become greener over the past 50 years because of slightly higher levels of carbon dioxide and natural increases in warmth. Secondly, investments in wind turbines and solar panels divert resources from more reliable and efficient fossil fuels and nuclear power that have produced unprecedented prosperity.
“Green warriors” who dismiss these arguments at least ought to consider that many of those who once embraced radical plans to “save the planet” now spurn them.
