American philosopher Eric Hoffer once said, “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” The actions of many who claim to believe climate change is a crisis indicate they believe reducing CO2 emissions is now just a racket.
For example, a group of activists purchased a billboard in Seattle calling on Seafair to cancel the annual Blue Angels airshow, citing the environmental impact of the fuel used during the airshow. Aedan McCall, the designer of the billboard, explained to the Seattle Times, “The sheer amount of carbon emissions the Blue Angels create – 670 tons in one weekend – is immense and wasteful…” Assuming her calculation is accurate, it reveals that for some, CO2 has become political weapon, not an actual concern.
The amount cited, 670 tons of CO2, sounds like a lot. In fact, it is a tiny, tiny amount. Washington state’s total CO2 emissions in 2021 (the most recent year available,) were 96.1 million metric tons. So, 670 tons amounts to one one-thousandth of a percent of total statewide emissions.
The value of that environmental impact is also extremely tiny. For $10 per metric ton, anyone could invest in projects that are guaranteed to reduce CO2 emissions. For just $6,700 the people who purchased the billboard could have eliminated the entire climate impact of the Blue Angels. They decided attention was more important.
Even if we use the current CO2 tax rate in Washington, which is much more expensive, the cost amounts to $39,201.70. That is a relatively tiny amount of money for the government. Indeed, Washington state wastes far more than that on projects that will yield zero emissions reductions. According to the state Department of Ecology’s own data, about 74 percent of the first $472.6 million of the CO2 tax revenue spent by the state produced no “Quantifiable emissions reductions.” Where’s the billboard for that incredible waste of money?
The most recent state operating budget spends $893,000 to “support planning and development of statewide livestock composting infrastructure to protect human health and reduce greenhouse gas emission.” There is $719,000 to “develop a guidebook to support local governments in integrating clean energy development into planning and zoning requirements, including dual-use clean energy technologies and colocation with agricultural uses.” There is another $456,000 to “develop guidance documents regarding the different types of battery energy storage systems technologies.” The cumulative environmental benefit of those projects is likely to be zero or near zero.
Screaming about CO2 emissions is now what politicians and activists do when they want to get their way on a political issue or appear righteous. Hate the Blue Angels and their “militarism”? Just claim they are killing the planet. The result is that many people come to believe that climate change is a phony political tool and not a real issue. And who can blame them when those who claim to care about the planet only seem to care about it when it suits their agenda?
When political activists demand the state deliver on its promises to reduce CO2 emissions, and demand it do so efficiently, we’ll know they’re serious about climate change. Publicity stunts involving manufactured outrage piggybacking on the Blue Angels are just phony and manipulative.
