Wow…where to start.
I guess I have to at least start by giving Amy Larkin,
a longtime environmental activist and consultant some credit for at least
trying to bring a new perspective of the impact on the economy that
environmental activism as wrought.
In her book Environmental
Debt – The Hidden Costs of a Changing Global Economy, tries, ever so desperately
at times, to make the case that the costs associated with the impact of alleged,
man-made global climate change have
created a drag on the economy that is having a far reaching negative impact.
Larkin’s solution is to propose that “big business” changes its ways and
somehow miraculously changes the climate.
The problem with the theory start pretty quickly in the
book; as typical of so-called environmentalists, Larkin loves to mix her terminology
in an effort to make her case. She interchangeably uses environment, climate
and weather, three very distinct and different things as if they are one and
the same.
She cites no less of an expert than now former, failed,
CNN opinion host Piers Morgan in conversation with weatherman Chad Myers that
somehow human activity and climate change is the cause for supposed increases
in the intensity of weather events like hurricanes. The Morgan, Myers exchange:
“Chad, you’ve been in this game for nearly three decades. Is this global
warming that we’re seeing? From a meteorological point of view, is there any
other explanation? (Myers) It is a prime suspect. I don’t have another one.”
Now that is what I call deep, scientific reasoning! The
problem for Larkin, Morgan and Myers; it isn’t happening! Even the
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the group so often cited by
so-called environmentalists, had to admit in 2013 that North Atlantic tropical
cyclone activity was down 71%! from normal rates. Flip on the Weather Channel during
hurricane season and you can just hear the desperation as Jim Cantore and his
ilk hope for a huge weather hit that just hasn’t materialized.
While Larkin proposes a new way for business to
approach the environment and claims to come from a business background in her
approach, she does seem to quite have even a rudimentary grip on global
economics. In the section on renewable energy she talks about wind and solar in
glowing terms on the global front, citing how the Chinese have skewed the
market with their ridiculous subsidies of the solar sector. Larkin’s response
would be to have the U.S. and other global players dump even more public
dollars into the already glaringly failed attempts, see Solyndra and countless
others.
Larkin acts as if there is no costs associated with
government subsidies; apparently you just go to the money tree and pick off a
few more dollars and the magic happens. Larkin apparently isn’t aware that
people have to pay taxes to cover these subsidies to failed solar and other
renewable industries. Perhaps if we removed costly and often time onerous
government regulations then the cost of trying the R & D of these kinds of
projects could be undertaken without subsidy and no that doesn’t mean we should
willy-nilly pollute the environment.
I also have to give Larkin’s publisher, Palgrave, credit; at least
they are willing to stand up to reviewer scrutiny unlike the gutless weasels at
Beacon Press who won’t even send out review copies of The Real Cost of Fracking, authored by a veterinarian and a
microbiologist of all things.
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