This week, we had a data driven discussion about modern society and highlighted a choice: to continue consumption while making cheap goods offshoring higher emissions (the status quo) or we can bring production back to the US where we control the regulations.

In a way, the narrative of the trade war could have been more successful if the President said the bringing production back to US was about modernizing our power grid and reducing the carbon footprint of our consumerism. So-TVs. American made. Lower carbon footprint. 20% more expensive to buy and tariffs in place drive up the price of alternatives.

Similarly, climate change activists could advocate for significant tax hikes on fuel, heating and electricity. That would certainly reduce consumption.

But those are truly bad solutions that are the fastest way for elected officials to become unelected (and we know many want to be career politicians so that doesn’t work for them!)

Changes are coming. Texas is the largest wind energy producer in the country. Companies like Amazon and Google are investing in renewable projects to provide the electricity they need.  But without an honest discussion about changes in consumption, everything else is just hot air.

#hottakeoftheday