Climate warriors demand state action rather than taking simple steps on energy use

There is one thing an angry teenager and has-been actress getting deliberately arrested for illegal demonstrations to draw attention to the so-called climate crisis have in common.

It’s their demands for government action to stop global warming.

Interestingly, there has been a simple yet viable plan for the past 12 years to eliminate large numbers of coal burning power plants — the top targets of climate alarmists — that doesn’t require the government to do anything.

Yet, like so many other initiatives, it has gone largely unapplied by the general population, apparently feeling it’s not our responsibility.

Maybe we too are waiting for Washington to take action that forces changes in our behaviors instead of doing anything that remains easily within our reach.

Instead, we look at political solutions that many don’t support — check the end of this piece for evidence of this claim.

In 2007, the Bush Administration, ushered in a plan that would significantly reduce demands on power plants run on fossil fuels and, at the same time, save consumers money on their electricity bills.

Later, a 2010 study reported by the liberal Grist network concluded that as many as 705 of the world’s 2,670 coal burning plants could be closed if the initiative was embraced in other countries.

The Environmental Protection Agency led the effort here to convince people to discontinue use of a 100-year-old technology, the incandescent light bulb.

There was a photo on the EPA website of me replacing the old-style bulb with a new compact fluorescent bulb in a table lamp as a demonstration of the ease of making the energy-efficient transition.

And, yes, I did the same thing in our home. Later I moved to light emitting diode bulbs that would last for the rest of my life while lessening electricity demands.

Please excuse my personal example. Apparently, I’m not any kind of role model to follow.

The point is this: We don’t seem to believe reductions in our energy demands are up to us. Instead, too many think it’s government’s job to save the planet.

If you want to check that conclusion, ask yourself if you believe the people of our country have made simple transitions.

The Department of Energy estimates, as an example, that there are at least 500 million recessed down-lights installed in U. S. homes. 500 million. Think of that. There are only about 330 million of us.

Maybe we haven’t bought in because the high-efficiency bulbs cost a little more. If that’s the reason, it could also lead to understanding why Congress hasn’t done more. Regulations to cut fossil fuels as a source of energy would cost all of us.

During Hollywood’s Golden Globes Awards broadcast last week, we were warned again of the consequences of the government’s failure.

Interestingly, Joaquin Phoenix, accepting the best actor award, called out his fellow travelers for flying around in private jets while pontificating the crisis of climate change.

Presidential candidates in this election year are promising to take on the fossil fuel industries, especially coal, with punitive regulations to deal with what they say is an “existential threat” to humanity.

Hillary Clinton may have lost the 2016 election when she did that and, Joe Biden, the current leading contender, is promising the same.

We’ll see how it works out this time. In the meantime, at least a partial solution, if you believe we need one, is in our hands without the need for the government to do anything.