Happy Belated Earth Day

I had more stimulating things to do last Friday than take part in the self-flagellating ritual known as Earth Day. Though I've written at length on environmentalism and anthropogenic global warming, here's a rapid breakdown of why they inspire a mixture of amusement and disdain in me:

• Nobody knows what the "right" temperature is for the Earth. Earth has been far warmer and far cooler over the course of millions and billions of years, so it is nonsensical to claim that Earth is too hot or cold right now.

• Nobody knows what the "right" amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide is. The entire amount currently in the atmosphere is a micro-fraction of the amount during the Mesozoic Era (i.e., the dinosaurs). 

• Of all the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, humans contribute only 4%. So even if environmentalists got their way and set civilization back a few hundred years, this would barely make a dent and would cost us dearly in terms of liberty and prosperity.

• Carbon dioxide makes up only about .0385% of the atmosphere. A far more prevalent greenhouse gas is water vapor, which constitutes up to 4% of the atmosphere, but it's not man-made and therefore offers no pretext for expanding government power.

• There is no scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warning.

• Even if there were a scientific consensus, use your brain rather than let a group of self-interested careerists do your thinking for you. Science the tool is one thing; science the profession is quite another and is heavily influenced by government (i.e., political) money. The lid already has been blown off the rampant manipulation of the temperature data.

• Even if all of the foregoing points are completely wrong, government is not capable of managing the global thermostat. Government can barely operate a VA hospital.

• Even if government is capable of managing the global thermostat, a life of servitude is not worth living.

• The Earth is mortal and will eventually burn to a crisp as the Sun continues to age. It's best to allow free markets and science to proceed unhindered so that we can escape this rock, rather than hinder progress to keep everything pristine just so it can eventually vanish without a trace. Indeed, if nature has a plan at all, it is likely this -- for humans to carry life to new worlds, like bees carrying pollen.