Economist Donald Boudreaux explains why it’s a mistake to treat reductions of C02 as an overriding goal: “The correct criterion is how well human beings protect their lives and livelihoods given the fact that the production of much of what makes modern life possible involves as a by-product the emission of CO2.”
Writing on Cafe Hayek, Boudreaux says the costs of reducing CO2 could be worse than any negative impacts of increases:
“When I look at the economic history of the past few centuries, I see that unprecedented and enormous improvements in human health, safety, and comfort—and in living standards generally—have been generated, and continue to be generated, by CO2-emitting industrial activities. There is clearly a benefit side to the cost side of CO2 emissions.
“This benefit side is all-but-ignored by mainstream pundits, professors, and politicians. These people simply take for granted that our standard of living will continue to be high with government-engineered reductions in CO2 emissions, or that the benefit to us of government-engineered CO2 reductions will by hypothesis be worth the cost.”
Image of a modern lifestyle is by Epicantus on Pixabay.