Gene Balfour is a candidate for the Ontario Libertarian Party and he joins us today to talk about his new book “What to do about Climate Change? A Libertarian Proposal.”
Is the current climate hysteria justified? Probably not.
Is climate change an issue that requires government intervention? As Gene and I discuss, it is definitely not.
The current laws and regulations in place to pursue a “green” environment in Canada have an easily recognizable stagnating effect. The redistributive nature of these policies contribute to economic and social decay. Whether the benefit is worth the cost is not easily quantifiable because any benefit - measurable in the improvement of life on this planet - will never be realized.
Measured in dollars collected in taxes, however, or how many people in wealthy, industrialized societies are forced back into serfdom, it can be argued to be a glaring success. Gene Balfour explains how politicians and special interest groups have been able to perpetuate these ideas despite their shaky foundation.
But then what is the solution? Why, the market of course. We’ve all read the libertarian explanations of how property rights and private property would solve these environmental concerns - to which Gene and myself both agree - but the question still arises of how to placate those who are ardent believers of the climate hysteria?
Again, as always, the answer is the market and it’s incredible capacity for creative solutions and co-operation. Gene’s proposal consists of all those elements, but the point is that there would be endless, creative solutions available if only we could get government out of the way.
-Darcy
Episode #30 with Gene Balfour