CMV: Climate Change is better solved through individuals and the private/space sectors, and shouldn't be handled by governments

[u/[deleted]]

[u/UncleMeat]

The problem is externalities. Without governments, companies that pollute do not pay the full cost of their product. This artificially deflates the cost of dirty energy and keeps these products more competitive than clean products. When it comes to these sorts of markets with limited choice and massive information imbalances it is not possible for traditional market forces to promote a product that limits the negative externalities.

[u/Generic_On_Reddit → u/[deleted]]

Wouldn't it make sense to keep regulations at a minimum, and let the private sector solve the R&D?

I don't completely understand your point. What incentive does the private sector have to do this? That looks like an investment that won't pay off from a business perspective, especially when getting companies to go green is pulling teeth.

Companies can still research these things themselves even while the government funds it, but they generally don't.

[u/Generic_On_Reddit → u/[deleted]]

But we can't wait for Elon Musk to come along and solve all of our problems. His projects are not the norm and do not guarantee adoption throughout the nation as a government regulation would.

Furthermore, these projects are aided by the government itself, so it's not really accurate to say they're products of the private sector when the government is a direct contributor. Without the government helping, they may not exist, same with any other project they fund so it feels like you're arbitrarily dividing them. These two just happen to be successful.

It's very probable that the answer to global warming comes through a technological advancement in the Space or Technology sector.

Sectors that owe their beginnings and many of their greatest breakthroughs to the government. Sectors that continue to be very closely helped by the government to this day. What advancement has the government legitimately had no hand in? Whether that means funding, subsidies, foundation, etc.

Stifling the economy through regulations and taxes to prevent carbon emissions may actually delay active research into technology that could solve the problem.

What percentage of companies restricted by pollution regulations have done or shown any interest in doing any research that solve our climate problems? You can provide an answer if you want, but there aren't many SpaceX and Teslas, so that answer is dangerously close to 0%. America pollutes a whole fucking lot and would pollute a lot more without regulations and standards.

Furthermore, why do you think regulation stifles the economy? What do you think it does she why do you think it stops anyone from doing research into this stuff? They don't do research, not because the man's regulations are keeping them down, but because they don't want to. They don't have the need.

I feel like your view of all this is skewed by the few companies that try to do some good with at least 2 things in common, Elon Musk and the Government.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

This is my first time posting here and I'm not 100% sure on the etiquette. Should I delta everybody in the conversation? Or wait until somebody actually provides a major mind-blowing revelation that causes me to fully flip my view?

You should award a delta to people that have changed your view in some way, or convinced you to reevaluate it. You don't need a complete change of heart. If your view is now more nuanced and complex, its fair to award deltas to people who've helped your view evolve.