What if Global Warming Were a Gigantic Liberal Lie?

by Tony Chavira

Let’s assume, just for a moment, that this thrust toward environmentalism is really all a lie imposed on United States legislation. Let’s assume that the Earth is not in peril, and instead that this is all just an attempt for knee-jerk liberal types to try and gain control of our federal agenda and force socialist regulation on us. Let’s assume, just for a moment, that environmental disaster is a massive lie to this end, or worse yet a massive conspiracy.

What’s the point then? What could possibly be the reason for you to move toward environmental sustainability if “eco-friendly” is just a stupid liberal agenda? It costs money to buy green things; it will probably cost a hike in taxes and only puts the eco-nut list of items at the top of a national agenda. So what’s the appeal here?

Here’s the point: there are other advantages to going green that have absolutely nothing to do with environmentalism:

1. Foreign Energy Dependence
   Possibility the largest single motivator in these times; providing for ourselves will mean that we don’t need to rely on anyone else. But this is really just the tip of the iceberg; let’s make it more personal for most people out there ...
2. Lower Utility Bills
   Let’s start small and practically: if energy companies can cut out the costs of finding, gathering, and transporting fossil fuels and utilize large one-time investments for sustainable energy resources (like buying a few hundred square feet of solar panels, for example), then your energy bills will reduce as well. The best part about this economic forecast is that the more solar panels the energy companies purchase, the lower their average cost will be. So what will stop you from outfitting your home with the panels needed to cut yourself off from the grid? Better yet, your neighbor who can’t afford to put solar panels on his house will still be offered competitive rates from the sustainable energy companies who need to keep their costs low. Why? To compensate for all of the people who’ve essentially jumped off the grid.
3. Lower Energy and Fuel Costs
   Sustainable fuel sources like seaweed will drastically reduce the cost of the natural gas you use in your house, as well as the cost of sustainable oils, without driving up the price of food (which is what the corn-to-ethanol process is currently doing). The more you promote the use of sustainable fuels, the cheaper the process of developing these fuels will be to the company. I’m not saying that the companies will pass those savings onto you, but in an industry that’s technologically transparent there will be a lot of competition and thereby lower prices.

4. Cheaper Homes
   Sustainability will do several things in terms of developing new homes and buildings. First, reclamation will allow developers to reuse materials (like perfectly good metals from old buildings) for less than if they were new and freshly-mined. Second, the current need for housing will drive the renovation of historical and industrial buildings. Reclamation, of course, is the ultimate form of recycling, and the LEED Program for Existing Buildings is just the start of how to think about completely reusing derelict structures throughout Southern California. Third, and most important, the need for sustainability in residential development will drive the development of structures that are built to be off the energy grid. The sale value of the homes themselves will be the same (since materials will still be cheap) and maintenance costs will go down. This also, provides more jobs in reclamation and green construction (see #7 below).
5. The End of Landfills and Dumps
   The process of reclamation mentioned above leads to the need to reuse everything around us. This will most likely begin with the elimination of solid wastes, like rundown cars, old electronics, old kitchen appliances ... just about anything. Already there are programs that accept solid waste for reclaiming, but this entire sector will burst forward when the demand for reclaimed materials is driven by a development and building industry that needs them to keep costs low. Developers and contractors just need to say the word.
6. Unlimited Clean Water
   As residential and commercial construction uses less energy while producing more energy, it may (wait for it) produce a surplus of independently-developed energy. What do you do with a surplus of energy? You use it to desalinate water. Money saved in energy bills will allow for the city to fund development of the incredibly expensive infrastructure it will take for desalination and you may, in fact, be able to sell excess energy from your home to pay for these energy requirements. Yes, the government will be paying you to make clean water.

7. A New Green Job Sector
   The interesting thing about a new job sector is that you could essentially be doing exactly the same job you’re currently doing, just now at a green company. Companies be save money from making their existing offices sustainable, plus new jobs that deal with sustainability will pop up. This means that existing companies will actually be making more money, while promoting job growth in the sustainability sector. Search green jobs in any search engine and you’ll notice that there are already sustainable recruiting companies employing a workforce for sustainable jobs. Is it possible that there are jobs out there during this economy? Those listings say yes.

It will take a massive national investment, yes. But all you need to do is show up to your city council meetings once in a while and watch how they spend their money. Do they throw it away, or do they invest it in something sustainable? The government is an investor, paying the workforce to give back into the economy; it’s about time they started acting like it.

We’re already in the groove of recycling cans, bottles and paper. We’ve figured out how to recycle large electronics, appliances and large plastics. A little more time and it’ll be standard practice to recycle old homes and buildings. Everything starts at the bottom and takes time, but every cent we save in materials is invested in a future were you’re not paying for energy. If anyone tells you that they don’t want to recycle, don’t want to build green, or plan on dumping their old, used-up stuff, tell them that they’re wasting their money in every possible way.