Climate activists push electrification and degrowth, complementary strategies that would lead to lower standards of living and more government control.
“Electrification” is the newest green buzzword. According to its proponents, by 2050, all vehicles, furnaces, water heaters, and even cooking stoves will be powered by electricity generated from wind and solar. On December 14, the White House held an “Electrification Summit” to explore “how electrification can help the United States meet its climate and equity goals.” The invited speakers represented a range of green-subsidy causes—automobile manufacturers, electric utilities, labor unions, regulators, and even teachers’ unions. At the same time, climate activists are putting more emphasis on “degrowth,” which, they claim, is the only way to prevent greenhouse gases from causing the earth’s immolation.
