More Humility Needed in Environmental Advocacy

By John A. Charles, Jr.

Environmental advocates who demand that we buy certain products rarely seem concerned about cost.

But early in September, New York Times reporter Christopher Flavelle wrote about his experience last July replacing his home air conditioner with a heat pump. As a “climate” reporter, he felt obligated to buy the heat pump based on claims that it would have fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a traditional air conditioner. But when it came time to make the purchase, he experienced sticker shock.

He ultimately bought a heat pump for $14,540, less $2,400 in subsidies, making it slightly more expensive than an air conditioner. He was assured that the unit would pay for itself, but he didn’t find that very satisfying. He wrote:

Until now, encouraging people to pay more upfront, on the promise of saving later, made sense to me, at least in a country that relies heavily on personal decisions to fight climate change. But when you’re the one paying, it feels like a lot to ask. Maybe the most valuable thing I got…was some humility.

The world would be a better place if climate reporters, government regulators, and elected officials all learned the same lesson.

John A. Charles, Jr. is President and CEO of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization.

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