Ranting About the Climate Change Narrative

February 17, 2023

Leyendecker Executive Search

Welcome to This Week’s Leyendecker View

Friends are God’s life preservers.
A healthy person has a thousand wishes, but a sick person has only one.
– From an old high school friend with a serious health issue

THOUGHTS FROM DOUG

Don’t get me started on climate change…Okay, let’s wind me up…

If you listen to this week’s podcast interview of a very credible scientist, Dr. Judith Curry, you’ll wonder if the whole climate change movement isn’t just one giant mass psychosis.

The misinformation and disinformation on climate change reminds me of the Covid experience.

It’s okay that private investors lost billions of dollars in domestic energy and are set to lose billions of dollars in technology investments. That’s how capitalism works.

But if we’re about to lose billions of dollars chasing climate change, the latest mania, that’s money right out of the taxpayer’s pocket. Isn’t that how socialism works?

Is this another example of more taxpayer capital we’re about to destroy?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for cleaner and cheaper energy. Who doesn’t want a cleaner world? But how can an economy and prosperity grow if energy isn’t less expensive and/or much more economically efficient?

Ever lower wages and ever lower interest rates are no longer major economic drivers. Innovation is always an economic driver. But the economies with cheap, plentiful and efficient energy seem to have the economic advantage.

Europe does not have an energy economic advantage. Is that why they want to raise energy prices for everyone else?

Politicians and the media love to use language like “humans are destroying the earth” or “we need to save the earth.” This language has real-world consequences. It’s becoming well known that mental health issues plague younger generations. Who can blame them? They were raised on a steady diet of climate alarmism. How can a person plan for a productive, fulfilled future if they’ve been led to believe there isn’t one? How can people feel optimistic when they’re constantly told we’re killing earth and believe the adults are failing them?

Adults are failing them by repeating apocalyptic language—because it promotes blatantly false narratives as it simultaneously robs people of hope. Humans are not going to destroy the earth, nor are we going to save it. The earth—and its ever-changing climate—was around long before humans and will be around long after us.

Okay, enough of this climate rant already…Here’s one on the economy…

A “soft landing” suggests that interest rates could stay higher for longer. Why would the Fed need to cut rates until there’s an obvious need to stimulate the economy?

THE ECONOMIC VIEW

Small business sentiment improves
Slightly better view as inflation declines.
Big banks are thinking soft landing

New cars today
Are only for rich Americans

Retail sales rebound sharply
Are higher prices the cause?
Credit card debt nears $1T

THE INFLATION BOGEYMAN

CPI falls to 6.4%
Will it become sticky now?
How about some bigger Fed hikes?

Inflation will end soon
According to this op-ed.
It’s too late to fix low inflation
According to two prominent economists.

Inflation complexity
There is yet more ahead.

THE LABOR VIEW

Best US cities for remote work
Shhh…don’t tell your boss.

Factory jobs are coming back
But do young folks want them?

Wages are a mess
Degreed people are earning less.