Climate change and most recently the term sustainability have become more prevalent in news cycles and everyday life within the past 5 years with the growing concern of climate change, and what some believe to be devastating and irreversible damage to the planet. But do the concerns warrant the heavy-handed response of over-regulation and increased government control that will lead to oppressed global economies and prosperous countries becoming 3-world countries?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, mainly caused by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels. “Sustainable” is the ability to maintain or continue something over the long term without causing harm to the environment, economy, or society. Environmental sustainability often implies practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
There has been a growing number of companies promoting their efforts and changes made to their operations and offerings to become more sustainable due to government policies, and pressure from climate activist groups. It also has become a marketing tool and a virtue signal as the masses become increasingly aware of the perceived threats of climate change in our near future.
To achieve environmental sustainability, businesses implement a range of strategies. These include prioritizing energy efficiency and transitioning to renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions, waste reduction and recycling initiatives, water conservation practices, eco-friendly packaging, carbon offsetting, and product lifecycle assessments. They also train employees and provide environmental certifications with the goal of fostering a culture of responsibility within the organization.
While the aforementioned actions are things that most people agree will make the world a safer and healthier place to live, these are actions that most small businesses cannot afford to implement and would be crushed under the weight of being forced to implement if they become mandatory through public policy. The mandating of sustainability initiatives would also have unintended repercussions on our food supply and everyday functions. We cannot seek to sustain the earth at the expense of human flourishing. Though the earth was created first, the earth and its resources were created to serve man, not vice versa.
Though it is thought that human flourishing is the primary goal of world leaders and the United Nations, the policies and international agreements surrounding climate change say otherwise. The abrupt and unreasonable demand of regions to abandon fossil fuels has led to increased suffering and hunger, which are issues the UN claims to want to put an end to. The restrictions on fossil fuels have led to food shortages as farmers were limited in producing and harvesting crops.
While solar panel usage has had widespread implementation, it is not a reliable source of energy as it relies on fossil fuels and the weather, a contradiction to climate change efforts. Many of the proposed alternatives to fossil fuels rely on fossil fuels and require a huge amount of resources, and an unreasonable amount of land usage. Either climate change policy advocates and policymakers have a utopian disconnect from reality or are highly aware of these issues and contradictions but have an agenda unrelated to saving the planet.
Prophetic Economic Insight
While there is great concern about the burden that sustainability policies might have on the American economy, (speaking as an American), I believe that this will cause a mass exodus of professional leaders, businesses, and innovators along with their resources to developing nations, causing a major shift in the global economy. As nations that have been global economic superpowers embrace climate change policies that will reshape every realm of life for its citizens, it will devastate these once robust and thriving economies and cause many to move their businesses, operations, and families to nations with fewer restrictions. They will leverage their knowledge and resources to partner with these nations which will increase economic growth and help transform nations, some of which are already on the trajectory of accelerated economic growth as they optimize their natural resources at a time when developed nations are restricting their use. Many of these nations that have been crushed under the weight of oppressive loans, sanctions, and corrupt leadership will experience restoration, a kind and a rate that the world has never seen.
“They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.” Isaiah 61:4
This economic revitalization and innovations will be led by both Christians and unbelievers who have the ability to recognize opportunities and the necessity to pivot even to a place that is unfamiliar and whose culture seems dramatically different. While some will see this exodus and partnerships as kin to colonization, this will not be the case as these nations will retain their cultural norms, while embracing enhancements and being the primary beneficiaries of these partnerships.
My prayer and hope is that the nation I currently call home, and has been a leader and symbol of freedom and godly standards, will reverse and turn from the course of devastation it is currently on. While every human being should be a good manager of the planet we all share, we must not allow hysteria and ulterior motives of big corporations seeking to stifle competition and greedy politicians looking to increase their power, to cause us to agree with policies and actions that would have a greater negative impact on human life than a positive impact on sustaining the earth.
By Dominique Galbraith