Envision Occupy Economics

I received an email ad for a conference in Kelowna next week on "Envisioning Occupy Economics".  This is being supported by the Green Party.

They note that governments need to regulate the production of food and energy so that we will have enough to meet demand. Among suggestions being presented is one that says that since it takes 15 times more water to produce meat than it does plant food, we should reduce our meat production and increase our grains, etc.

While I agree that there are some good ideas within this group, the idea that GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTROL PRODUCTION is NOT one of them. Governments and production quotas have been tried and failed over and over again.  Look at where that got Russia last century. 

Environmental ideas need to be brought forward into a free market where they can succeed in their proper time. Good ideas will catch on and bad ones will drop off. Government meddling in what is produced will be disastrous to our freedoms, our economic health and ultimately to the environment as well.

Look at the GM Volt for example. An electric car is a good environmental idea. It isn't perfect however and it needs time to be tried and adjusted and improved. Production was being encouraged by the US government but now GM has stopped it because they have too many. What would happen if production was not just encouraged but controlled by government? The negative impacts on the car industry would be significant.

We must take care of the environment rather than using it to intimidate people into giving up their freedoms.