Eskomhagen

If you believe that carbon emissions cause climate change, you should really be embracing the higher electricity prices coming in 2010.

For one, higher electricity prices will lead to reduced electricity consumption, and thus, a reduced carbon footprint. Not to mention the reduced disposable income that’ll mean lower spending on discretionary products that’ll take much strain off the manufacturing and distribution chains of numerous products, further reducing our carbon footprint. Of course this will hurt your pocket and inconvenience aspects of your lifestyle until alternative ‘greener’ energy supplies are freely available and more affordable, but at least you’ll be doing your bit to speed up the shift to sustainable energy (not soon, judging by some of the legislation recently out of DME) and to combat climate change today (if, that is, you believe carbon emissions cause climate change).

Isn’t it strange that our policymakers haven’t put this argument out there to get the public happily paying higher electricity prices? If the government was true to its word, it would have us pay higher electricity prices to reduce South African consumers’ and businesses’ carbon footprint.

But here lies the crux of the matter: the government wants to portray itself as loving and paternalistic. Its reelection depends on it. The bureaucrats want to convince the public that all they care about are their subjects’ interest and welfare, and that they are fending for their people. They want to have us pay low electricity prices, most of the production of which come from fossil fuels, yet at the same time save the world from climate change caused by these fossil fuels. It is blatantly obvious that they are not interested in reducing carbon emissions, but are rather milking the system by a) getting their hands on aid money from the West in repayment of their ‘climate debts’, and b) milking the system by keeping the voting SA populace in the palm of its dead hand to maintain its ruling power.

“It is as if it was necessary, before a reign of justice appears, for everyone to suffer a cruel retribution — some for their evilness, and others for their lack of understanding.” Frederic Bastiat, The Law. Published in June 1850.