Climate fans, beware 'free dividends' on carbon

I find it necessary to respond to Mike Bullard’s “My Turn” article on climate change and the promises of free carbon dividends, which was published in the Cd’A Press on Feb. 9. I commend him for his community service in those adverse weather-related events.

I digress momentarily for a brief qualification of my background. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and one in Earth Science Education from the University of Idaho. Weather and climate have always been an interest, considering my profession as a land surveyor and sailor. I have observed and studied the sun, moon, planets, Polaris and many other stars and constellations of which said observations were dependent upon the weather. Celestial observations were a requirement in my surveyor/navigator experiences not so many years ago. Now, with satellite technology, we no longer have to rely entirely upon celestial observations.

Mr. Bullard states that in order to solve climate change, it “… would require producers of carbon fuel to pay a gradually increasing dividend to the people. That’s right, equally to every citizen. Simple as that.” He then states that “You and I get some money in the pocket …” and later he states that we will have “free power from the wind, sun and tide.”

I suggest that the Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL) take a class in basic economics. Before you give something away that’s not yours, you have to take it away from someone else. Sounds surprisingly similar to the “Green New Deal” with all this other “free stuff” that we’re gonna get, like these free dividends, free medical care, free college education, free guaranteed incomes including even to those unwilling to work. When asked how all of this free stuff is paid for, the response was, “Well, you know, we just pay for it.” Kind of like, “Simple as that?” Sounds very similar to another liar, “You know, you can keep your doctor. You can keep your insurance.”

Rather than counter each of Mr. Bullard’s points at this time, I suggest that the readers peruse an article by Peter Shawn Taylor in the Feb. 8, 2019, Canadian Free Press entitled “Carbon Taxes: A letter from Canada.” Mr. Taylor is a journalist, a policy analyst, and a contributing writer to Canadians for Affordable Energy. His insights on carbon dividends are well reflected in a very similar scenario in British Columbia. The implementation of the “free money and free energy” policy that was promised has turned out to be an abject failure, and now this “income dividend” turns out to be nothing more than another tax. At least the Canadians were honest enough to call it a carbon tax up front instead of marketing it as the people’s dividend.

I paraphrase only a small portion of Mr. Taylor’s words. He quotes the following from the Climate Leadership Council: “… the majority of American families … will benefit financially by receiving more in ‘carbon dividends’ than they pay in increased energy prices.” A tax that pays you sure sounds appealing! But a word of caution: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Up here in Canada, we’ve been burned by the same promise.”

Regarding climate change, I think the CCL and CLC may also have a problem with understanding the difference between weather and climate change. There is no argument that our climate is changing. Our climate has been changing for an estimated five billion years. Prognostications of climate change are based upon observations of less than one second on a 24-hour clock in the lifetime of this planet. OK, for a little perspective. Our local climatologists/weather prognosticators, Cliff Harris and Randy Mann, have posted their research results on the historical temperatures of earth from ice cores dating back 415,000 years. They also provided graphs of the realities of global warming/cooling cycles detailing the past 4,500 years. It is a very interesting and informative article relating to climate change and global warming.

It appears that the Citizens Climate Lobby is nothing more than a local mobilization effort of the Climate Leadership Council and the Citizens Climate Education Corporation, which I presume, are some of the underlying supporters of the “Green New Deal” (Hoax). In my opinion this is just another backdoor attempt to redistribute wealth and ultimately to control people. Sounds familiar to what I think a reasonable person would conclude as a socialist, and eventually a communist state agenda. We only have to look to Venezuela, Cuba, Bangladesh, India, North Korea, Portugal, Sri Lanka and Tanzania for examples of how socialism really works. Compare those countries’ economies, their standard of living with that of capitalist nations. Then, come back to the table to negotiate a deal of why I should support your agenda of these “free dividends.”

In closing, as Will Rogers said “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” Consider a similar phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” I think we need to take a serious look at the previous bad judgements of the Canadian version of “free dividends” before we embark on a very old recycled version of the “Green New Hoax.”

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Bruce Anderson is a Coeur d’Alene resident.