The WEF called on governments to ‘end the underpricing of fossil fuels’ and impose financial penalties in a bid to replace traditional fuel sources with ‘clean energy.’

By Ashley Sadler
Article Source

In a Monday position paper characterizing “climate change” and the “decline of democracy” as joint “global crises,” the World Economic Forum (WEF) argued that adherence to radical climate ideology — including measures to hike up already record-breaking gas prices — is necessary for saving democracy.

“Climate change and the decline of democracy are two global crises that have come to a head in recent years,” wrote Colorado State University Economics professor and WEF “Agenda Contributor” Edward Barbier in the July 11 article.

According to Barbier, “[t]ransitioning to green energy is key to both tackling climate change and creating sustainable economies.”

Citing freedomhouse.org, which has described the January 6 Capitol riot as “part of an organized attempt to overturn the results of the [2020] presidential election,” Barbier argued that democracy has declined globally over the past 15 years.

In addition, he asserted that “the world must act now” to keep “global warming” at bay by driving down carbon emissions.

“Major democracies should work together to achieve these two goals,” he said.

“These two aims are not mutually exclusive but complementary,” he said, explaining that “Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to low-carbon alternatives also make democratic economies more sustainable.”

The economics professor went on to suggest that governments “end the underpricing of fossil fuels” and impose financial penalties on the fossil fuel industry in a bid to replace traditional fuel sources with “clean energy.”

In addition, “to encourage compliance by other countries,” Barbier advised that “G20 democracies” join the European Union in imposing a “tax on carbon-intensive imports” to make sure companies don’t relocate to countries with less stringent environmental rules.

According to Barbier, “[c]ollective action on a green energy transition is thereby not only good for the climate but also vital for protecting democracy.”

Barbier isn’t the only one arguing for the penalization of the fossil fuel industry to force a switch to “green” energy.

During the World Bank’s “Financing Climate Action” event in April, influential climate economist Baron Nicholas Stern also argued in favor of policies to end subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and put a stop to the sale of vehicles that use internal combustion engines, LifeSiteNews reported.

Likewise, President Joe Biden, who has presided over skyrocketing inflation and historically high gas prices, drew backlash in May when he openly suggested that the high cost of gas was part of an “incredible transition.”

Meanwhile, massive protests sweeping through Europe in recent days suggest that ,contrary to the claims of the WEF, many citizens see climate policies doing the opposite of preserving freedom.

Farmers throughout Europe have engaged in widespread protests against crippling climate measures that could rob them of their livelihoods.

In the Netherlands, thousands of farmers have used their tractors to block off highways and grocery distribution centers to protest a government proposal to cut emissions of nitrogen oxide, ammonia, and other pollutants by roughly 50% by 2030, Fox News reported.

Dutch government data suggests that if enacted, the policy could shut down as much as 30% of livestock farms in the country, The Daily Wire noted.

Farmers in Poland, Germany, and Italy have reportedly followed suit, expressing vehement opposition to the liberty-crushing environmental policies promoted by the WEF and the United Nations.

Backers of the protesters argue that the radical climate policies could hasten global food shortages by artificially hobbling agricultural enterprise.