Isn’t Climate Change more about creating an industry than saving the planet?

I’m constantly told the world will end soon if we don’t fight global warming or climate change, but isn’t fighting climate change more about creating an industry and less about saving the planet, especially in Massachusetts? Hear me out.

On a typical day, I head to a few coffee shops. Lately, the temperatures have been a comfortable between 70 to 85 degrees out, but the temperatures quickly drop anytime I walk into a building with the air conditioners blasting. I generally have to bring a sweatshirt and socks (yes, I wear flip flops) – throwing them on when I get to a coffee shop or place to eat. Are air conditioners really needed when it’s 74 degrees outside like today? The carbon footprint must be huge with an air conditioner running 12 hours a day, then consider the 10’s of thousands of businesses in Massachusetts doing this. This doesn’t count the millions of people running their air conditioners all day long in their homes, but I digress.

The next beautiful sunny day, check out how many people on the road have their windows rolled up and air conditioner running. It seems to be most of the people on the road and many have “Save the Planet” bumper stickers.

Need something from a drug store? Electrical doors will welcome you into the building. Heading to a large mall? Escalators will carry you up and down the levels. Taking a flight out of Logan? No worries, moving walkways will carry you from gate to gate. For a state that pushes renewable energy and a leader in the fight on climate change, we sure waste a lot of electricity!

Don’t worry, waste all the energy you want because some wind or solar non-profit flush with government money will come to the rescue! Billions in tax payer money has flowed into the climate change industry with solar and wind leading the charge. Heads of non-profits seem to be getting rich while the air conditioners hum along, electric doors swing open and escalators run even when no one is on them. Oh, and legislators write laws to tax you more at the pump and add “fees” per mile you drive your car. You are destroying the planet and need to be punished!

If we are more serious about fighting climate change and less serious about creating an industry, we’d push for social engineering where people would actually consume less energy – open your own doors and walk up stairs. But that’s not what you do when trying to grow an industry.

The U.S Government has spent nearly $35 billion funding climate change/Global Warming in the past few decades and much more money is promised for the future. That’s just the United States. Here’s some info from the U.S. Government Accountability Office:

“Federal funding for climate change research, technology, international assistance, and adaptation has increased from $2.4 billion in 1993 to $11.6 billion in 2014, with an additional $26.1 billion for climate change programs and activities provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009.”

Are wind and solar farms the answer to climate change? Possibly, but let’s be truthful – climate change is more about creating an industry where well-connected people are making millions off of the tax payer than saving the planet. If we really cared about climate change, we’d enact policy to reduce consumption. Politicians love to spend money instead of social engineering for one reason, to create an industry that makes them and their friends a lot of money.