Mostly, I don’t debate climate change with the deniers because I know it’s part of their catechism and I don’t wish to be rude to people about their religions.  When the deniers see something supporting the mainstream science, they pounce, intent on overpowering the message with reams – MOUNTAINS – of industry-produced pseudo-science, all of which ends up being disproved over time (because, of course, it’s pseudo-science).  The thing is, I’ve realized that they can’t use ANY of it – not one word – until they’ve leaped over an obvious and undeniable truth: there is NO downside to switching from dirty, polluting, and finite fossil fuels to clean, non-polluting renewables.  None.  Making the switch as quickly as possible is better in every way, even before the question of climate change enters into it.  The actual only argument against switching?  Money (and who gets it…)

One guy, Corbin “Corby” Robertson Jr., sunk the bulk of his inherited wealth into cornering the market on coal.  According to the book ‘Dark Money’ by Jane Mayer, by 2003, his company, Quintana Resources Capital, owned more coal reserves than any other private company, second only to the United States Government.  That’s some “jenius” right there, cornering the coal market in 2003.  It’s like seeing trucks, trains, and 200 mph Bugatti’s and sinking your entire fortune into Conestoga wagons.  HE probably sees himself as some sort of negotiating heavyweight so he never realized he was being allowed to “win” the discussions by people who were getting out while the getting was good.  Now the entire planet is supposed to suffer because he made a poor investment?  Sorry, pal…

But he’s not alone in trying to stem the tide of history and entrap Americans in caskets of coal.  There’s a very small number of people who rely on their ability to throttle the energy supply in order to acquire “their” beautiful lucre – and THAT’S the true panic behind switching.  See, it’s not ONLY about renewables.  It’s really about the fact that the best distribution of renewable sources is non-centralized.  A non-centralized network means they can’t interfere with power production and squeeze out a little extra profit for…well, you know…the “shareholders.”

So, members of the privileged elite like the Koch brothers finance think tanks, professorships, media outlets, “grass roots” movements, and anything – everything – else they can to try to perpetuate their profits.  CATO is part of the so-called “Kochtopus.”  So is the Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, the Federalist Society, the Mercatus Center, and several others.

All of these groups were set up and/or funded by the Kochs with the specific intent to deceive a certain segment of our society into supporting what the Kochs think is good for the Kochs.  (They pretend it’s about “freedom.”)  They’ve enjoyed tremendous success.  Their topics literally define the “conservative agenda.”  Climate change is only one subject.  The Kochs and the other deceivers already know they’ve lost the fight, if for no other reason than, sooner or later, the fossil fuels will run out.  So they crank out all of this bunk, knowing it’s bunk and knowing that sooner or later they’re going to lose the fight but intent on protecting their profits for as long as possible and at any cost.  Well, any cost to you and me, that is…

But I’ll tell you this: I don’t actually hold that interfering with the profits of a few spoiled and failed human beings is a downside and that leads me to the inescapable, essential conclusion: there is NO downside to switching from dirty, polluting, and finite fossil fuels to clean, non-polluting renewables…