Quote:This is the crux of the freedom argument. I do try to make environmentally wise and frugal choices, but should the government restrict liberty to make people make wise choices? If you say, "we share an atmosphere", and "we share a water supply", and "we share an energy grid", then you can pretty much make any argument you want to regulate almost everything a person does as it relates to consumption, and waste.
An energy grid is not comparable to the atmosphere or the water supply. The relevant point, especially for a libertarian, is that these are common resources that cannot be meaningfully enclosed into private property. This is not true of the energy supply.
And yes, once one acknowledges our interconnected reality, then some form of world governmenance that regulates consumption in some ways is a necessity for continued survival. Regulation here, even from the standpoint of liberty, is no more unreasonable than a police force to prevent crime.
-Jester