Libertarian Views On Global Warming

By

Libertarians agree that global warming is real and the climate is changing in a manner that will make it difficult for our planet to accommodate its current population. This has damaged the coral reefs, hurt plant life, caused droughts and flooding. It’s definitely a human disaster and Libertarians believe they can combat this issue once and for all. Libertarians disagree with the notion that capitalism is the cause of global warming and the government has the solution. They say the government has subsidized the ethanol industry, destroyed the nuclear industry, failed to regulate the American logging industry and continues to subsidize gas-guzzling auto industry. Libertarians therefore believe that the government is the major cause of global warming, and they believe they can change the narrative in the following ways.

Enforce Responsibility on Air, Wildlife, Land, and Water

In order to protect the ecosystems and environment, Libertarians believe that there should be behavioral changes and technological changes through competitive property rights and free markets. Conservation groups and private landowners have a responsibility to maintain natural resources. The government, on the other hand, not only has a bad track record of protecting public land, it’s been unaccountable for its environmental damages throughout history. To prevent further damage, the party calls for good definition and enforcement of people’s responsibilities as far as wildlife, land, water, and air are concerned. In cases where there is prove of damage that can be justified in a court of law, there should be a form of compensation.

Enforce Individual Rights for Wildlife, Land, Water, and Air

Libertarians advocate for healthy and clean ecosystems and responsible use of our natural resources. It is the misuse of resources that has highly contributed to the damage of our ecosystem in the first place. In order to protect the environment, there should be strong enforcement of individual rights regarding wildlife, land, water, and air. It is through the protection of property rights and free markets that behavioral changes and technological innovations can be stimulated and eventually lead to better protection of the environment. In other words, owners of all privately owned land would be held responsible for the care and preservation of that land. For this reason, Libertarians believe that the right to own property should be extended upwards to include the air.

Accountability for Pollution

According to Libertarians, damaging other people’s property is a violation of human rights. There should be strict liability, not mere government restrictions as far as pollution reduction is concerned. They also demand a total abolition of the Environment Protection Agency. Instead of forcing the innocent citizens to pay for waste clean-ups, organization managers must be held accountable for any damages to the environment that their business causes.

This also includes strengthening laws against trespassing. For instance, if people upriver decide to dump chemicals, this should be treated as land trespassing. The same rule should also apply in cases where the air above a person’s property is being polluted. According to the Libertarian party, this would ensure companies keep their damages at low levels, or else they risk being chased by people who have legitimate land ownership rights. Collectives would be responsible for the care of public lands, but such lands should be limited, and the majority of land ownership should be private.

End Foreign Aid to Countries That Are Against Property Rights

Although fossil fuel is a major contributor to global warming, Libertarians suggest that it’s not the biggest polluter. The biggest setback is the deforestation issue across the globe. For instance, the lumber industry owners in the United States own property and the land are taken good care of to ensure continuous growth. This is basically the reason why the lumber industry has not experienced shortage in America. The party points out that, in the other parts of the world, property is rarely owned by private companies and in addition, that there are no incentives to enable people to replant in these regions. This translates to fewer plants on the planet and less oxygen to convert the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

According to the Libertarians, the solution to this challenge is very simple: cut any foreign aid to these countries until they agree to establish property rights. So, their billion dollar foreign aid will go away unless they privatize their forests. Libertarians see deregulation of American logging as the most effective way of cutting off foreign aid to countries that lack property rights. Through regulations such as the Endangered Species Act, the lumber industry has been discouraged and therefore leading to less new plants.

Deregulate Wind, Solar, Nuclear and Fracking

Libertarians have always advocated for clean energy in the past, so this is not a new ideology. Their stand is that nuclear energy is what should have been the main source of power in the first place. They believe that it is the oil lobbyists who created the false notion that nuclear power was dangerous and every home would now be nuclear powered. Fracking is also being threatened by the big oil companies.

Libertarians therefore suggest that all the regulations for wind turbine and solar panel installation regulations be abolished. The general outcome of this deregulation would be cost cutting. They further argue that clean energy is more expensive in America and that this is a further form of regulation. Encouraging clean energy should be the first role of the government, but it appears like it is doing the opposite.

Deregulate the Auto Industry

As the population increases, the demand for automobiles is also growing. Libertarians are against the regulatory barriers imposed on car manufacturers in the United States. Auto industries that are pro clean energy have to be subjected to safety tests worth millions of dollars. This is largely contributed to by the auto industries working with the government in order to fight their rivals and barring them from establishing themselves. Libertarians argue that it is because of such prohibitive measures that companies such as Tesla have gone public. It is the same reason that organizations such as MDI, which has been developing air powered vehicles, didn’t set up shop in America in the first place.

Eliminate Ethanol Subsidies

Libertarians have previously claimed that ethanol-based fuel is a scam and continue to insist so. It basically continues to incentivize corn overproduction, which eventually emits more methane and Co2 in the atmosphere. It is also not an effective source of fuel.

Sources:

Similar Posts: