The Carbon Trap (The Carbon Series Book 1)

by Randy Dutton

  June 15, 1730 hours

  North Malé Atoll, Maldives

  Tom gestured at the concrete wave break. “Utter hypocrisy!” He took a swig of his second beer while waiting for dinner to be served.

  “Using concrete throughout these islands to reduce coastal erosion?” Art asked.

  “Mixing in coral for their concrete mix,” Tom groaned. “Digging up their islands for building material, then blaming coral death and sinking islands on fossil fuels.”

  “Everything modern depends on what we’ve dug up from the planet,” Art said. “Even most of their precious wind turbines require about a quarter ton of rare earth elements,”

  “Yes, and China controls 95 percent of the rare earths,” Sam inserted. “There’s plenty of financial motivation for them to support alternative energy technologies.”

  “That’s not the worst of it,” Art continued. “There are up to 17 processing steps in refining rare earth elements, most which use a lot of nasty chemicals. The largest rare earth mining and refining operation in China causes vast quantities of acids, heavy metals, and poisonous radioactive thorium to be flushed down the Yellow River.”

  “Which empties into the Pacific, and thus, into the food chain…. Why...thorium’s probably in the fish down here,” Ed added.

  They looked questioningly at the mas-roshi on their plates, which hadn’t yet been cleared.

  “But environmentalists promote wind turbines as being clean energy as the alternative to carbon fuels,” Sam challenged.

  “Yes, but most environmentalists don’t really understand science or economics,” Art pointed out. “Remember Patrick Moore, Greenpeace co-founder? He quit Greenpeace when the pop-environmentalists took over. He said many of the fellow directors didn’t have formal science training and would criticize things they didn’t understand, and failed to support the things they should. He claimed they used misinformation, fear, and sensationalism to deal with people on the emotional level rather than the intellectual level.”

  “It’s almost as if disinformation is being fed to them in college,” Sam said.

  “That’s true,” Tom agreed. “The very sustainable energy devices touted by environmentalists to reduce fossil fuels reliance nearly all require rare earth elements. It’s a lot of demand for a dwindling global supply.”

  “Why’s China limiting availability?” Sam asked.

  “To supply its domestic manufacturers...maintain its monopoly, which also adversely affects an amazing array of other items.”

  “Such as?” Ed asked.

  “Photovoltaic cells for starters,” Art responded. “Ed, you have to understand that rare earth elements have diverse applications - nuclear, metallurgical, chemical, electrical, magnetic, and optical. They’re essential in creating permanent high capacity lightweight magnets, so every cell phone, ear bud, and headset needs them. CD and DVD and hard drives require them. The optical qualities provide specific colors in lasers or monitors, and enhance reflectivity in fiber optics. Some make new rechargeable electric car batteries, while others are catalysts in chemical reactions—”

  “Including oil refining,” Tom chimed in. “A few years back there was a shortage of catalysts and it created a major headache for our fuel refineries.”

  “Exactly!” Art affirmed. “By soaking up the rare earth supply on the open market, the enviros force high tech production to China. The enviros partly caused the closure of America’s domestic supply source in Mountain Pass, California.... But I’m happy to say, with some political support from conservatives, it’s finally restarted production. But it’s not enough…. Fact is, America used to monopolize rare earth production a few decades ago. We just surrendered the technology to the Chinese. They literally bought the processing equipment and moved it to China. Brought some of our engineers there, too.... I remember that China bought one facility, promised to keep it in the US, then just moved it a few years later. The Clinton Administration didn’t raise a peep. Decades ago, the Chinese damn near bought UNOCAL Corp.”

  “Didn’t Congress block it?”

  “Yes, but only because they didn’t want the Chinese to get its US oil reserves. Guess what? That’s not what the Chinese were after. They were smarter. UNOCAL owned the Mountain Pass mine. That’s what they really wanted – to eliminate potential competition,” Art said.

  “So, Art, if limiting fuels because of CO2 drives up rare earth demand, and reduces available supply, doesn’t China then controls manufacturing for everything requiring the elements?”

  “Sure does. China benefits from the Carbon Law by becoming the global manufacturer of high tech equipment.”

  “Where else are these rare earths used?” Ed asked.

  “Defense. Smart weapons, aircraft, night vision goggles, lasers, computer chips, rail gun technology, and probably a number of black ops equipment we don’t know about.”

  “Rail gun?”

  Art grinned. “Electromagnetic kinetic weapon. Uses a collapsing magnetic field to shoot a metal dart many times faster than artillery. It doesn’t need explosives to kill its target, just its velocity. A small metal rod traveling 15,000 mph will destroy anything. And it’s got a flat trajectory so, line of sight targeting.”

  “So China’s military gains an advantage?”

  “Yep. There, and in space. This technology may become so effective we’ll be able to shoot small items into earth’s orbit…or beyond. It may even help in constructing the Space Elevator that is being discussed.”

  “Miles per hour, Art? Really?” Ed chuckled. “You should be more politically correct than using the English unit of measurement banned by the current administration. You’re not worried about being fined for promulgating an inefficient system?”

  “I still believe in free speech,” Art said testily. “I actually prefer the metric system. This US Metric Mandate went overboard by fining people who publicly use the English system. But okay...the dart can go 24,000 kilometers per hour.”

  Ed continued chuckling, and finally Art grinned at the absurdity.

  Sam looked skyward. “Ah, the Space Elevator...the orbiting station with a carbon fiber tethered to Earth to haul up materials and people. I love sci-fi...I’d love to see that in action. Anything else?”

  Art cradled his chin in his hand. “Let’s see…if I recall, the US Geological Survey report listed lighter flints, glass polishing, phosphors for video displays, magnetic refrigeration, high-temperature superconductivity, safe storage and transport of hydrogen, efficient lighting and appliances… you get the idea...most everything high tech and energy efficient.”

  “But don’t these elements actually help save the environment? Won’t these reduce CO2 emissions?” Sam asked.

  “Yes,” Tom responded.

  “Then why don’t environmentalists become pro-capitalism and promote more mining?”

  “Because the power brokers aren’t looking for efficiency when it comes to product creation or how to use limited capital. They want to pick the winners and losers. In doing that, they control the wealth...and the outcome. Innovators tend not to be unionized,” Tom said.

  “And China’s using their rare earth monopoly as greenmail.” Art quipped, “Can you say…Made in China?”

  “Do you think the US would do it any differently if we had the monopoly?” Sam ventured.

  “Not to this extent. Though I recall America did try to force Japan to pull out of occupied Manchuria in the years leading to WWII. Ending the shipment of petroleum and scrap iron to them forced them into a corner, which led to their going after Southeast Asia. Japan thought they had the right to be a colonial power just like the European countries. We wouldn’t let them join the club,” Tom replied.

  The men got quiet when the waiter brought their dinners. Art had chosen a local tuna dish, and chuckled when steak had been brought for the other three.

  “What?!” Tom said in response to Art’s grin, “I’m sick of tuna.”

  Ed leaned forward, clearly irritated.
“So am I. But back on topic, what I’m hearing is that the environmentalists don’t want to help America develop and prosper. If they did, they’d be leading the charge in mining and refining our own resources, using the tens of trillions of dollars of fossil fuels to help fund a renaissance. Instead, they’re using this carbon dioxide scam to punish America for having been successful and are trying to de-develop us. To do this, they have to destroy capitalism. And to do that they have to shift the wealth outside America.”

  “Basically, yes,” Tom replied. He nodded his satisfaction to his first bite of steak.

  “And they demand the mining companies mitigate all the damage,” Art filled in.

  “Yes, they are such Luddites,” Sam said to shared amusement.

  Art continued, “They are opposed to industrialization, automation, computerization, and technological advances that de-skill routine, manual tasks. Imagine China getting rid of bulldozers so they could employ another 10 million people to move dirt…. It’s all a means of controlling the population by forcing people to live simpler, more basic lives...except for the elites who will take charge.” He motioned to the Spider. “And with their control comes fewer choices, lower standards of living, and about every restriction one could imagine...for everyone else. Returning to the earth really means the majority contributes to a centralized government, and that government benevolently provides people a basic level of subsistence based upon their needs, which, I might add, government bureaucrats determine.”

  “‘From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs’…Karl Marx.” Art took a sip of water, and continued, “That’s his principle about how wealth would be produced and distributed. He considered it the highest phase of communist society.”

  “Are you saying environmentalism is rooted in communism?” Ed asked.

  Art nodded. “Yes.”

  “But that has been proven to fail in every country it’s been tried!” Sam exclaimed.

  “I’ve got to warn you, Sam,” Ed interjected, “Art’s not just a mining techie, he’s got a BS in Philosophy.”

  Art shrugged. “True. communism has failed, but the believers are undaunted. Marxists think it just hasn’t been tried correctly.”

  “By rebranding it as environmentalism?”

  “Yes.... Before they think we can get to the highest phase, there’s a first and second phase to hit first.” Art took the last bit of the tuna on his plate.

  “And those are?” Sam asked.

  “To eliminate capitalism and to demonize the job creators, and the bankers,” Art answered. “You saw it in the Occupy Wall Street protests that started in 2011—”

  Sam chuckled. “I refer to it as Irish Spring…because they needed soap so badly,”

  “Anyway,” Art continued. “‘From each according to the capitalist’s need, to each according to the capitalist’s greed,’ is the how Marxists illustrate what they believe they have to abolish. This is the first phase. Their efforts include the carbon taxes as part of implementing high taxation of private efforts and redistributing the wealth to meet their priorities.”

  “Are there non-economic controls?” Sam asked.

  “Things like controlling the press, manipulating public perception, controlling the education curriculum, and stifling debate.”

  “How do they conclude capitalism has failed?” Sam questioned.

  Art smiled at the challenge, “One example they use is to give statistics about global poverty rates, the lack of formal education, the high unemployment in the developing world, and the reward disparity between the uber rich and the very poor.”

  Sam looked dubious. “Don’t those numbers show problems with capitalism?”

  “Not really,” Art said. “Most of the failures in society are in totalitarian and socialist regimes. The more capitalist countries have much lower rates of poverty. The Pilgrims started off as a collective that failed miserably. When the elders gave each family private property to grow a garden is when they thrived.”

  The men around the table nodded agreement.

  “And the second Marxist phase?” Sam asked.

  “‘From each according to their abilities, to each according to their work’ illustrates the next part of their strategy.”

  “What’s the difference?”

  “‘Each according to their work’ distributes rewards evenly regardless of the jobs because it dictates that all have the same value in society.... Our waiter”—Art motioned his head towards the man at the bar—“would get the same pay as you regardless of education or effort.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Sam responded.

  Art thought for a moment. “I need to explain the first part of the principle—‘from each according to their ability.’ This means that everyone in society has the right and the opportunity to develop their talents and abilities to the utmost and use their talents to produce goods and services for the benefit of society.”

  He motioned at the waiter. “Our waiter, for example, may want to be a neurosurgeon. Under Marx, he has the right to get that education and become one, even if his maximum ability is below standard. Marx’s version of communism doesn’t differentiate by merit, only by desire. In fact, under Marx’s version, everyone with the desire gets as high an education as they want. Theoretically, there would be no undereducated, no unemployment, and no one will be forced by economic necessity to work in jobs unsuited to their abilities.... Let’s put this in a bigger extreme. Perhaps he and 90 percent of the population want to be artists?”

  Everyone grinned at that idea.

  “These artists, in return for their art, would receive from society nothing less than complete satisfaction of their material and cultural needs. But they can’t eat art. Who would be left to do the dirty jobs? If everyone is paid the same, why would anyone want to exert themselves? Who would be left to produce food, and the goods and services society needs to survive?”

  “But didn’t Communist Russia dictate what jobs people did?”

  “From the onset,” Art replied. “Lenin instituted a command economy and forced people into jobs they weren’t trained for and didn’t necessarily want. Tens of millions starved to death or were murdered because they resisted. Mao did the same. They set levels of production, and even if the product didn’t work the workers weren’t hassled, as long as the quotas were met.”

  “Who are the ‘they’?”

  “The Communist stalwarts, the radicals, the new ruling class – they believed someone has to be in charge. They considered themselves above the rabble and used their new power to enact retribution against the nationalists, the royalists, the professional Army, and the intellectuals.”

  “And the UN bureaucrats, and the carbon klatch? These are the new radicals?”

  “Exactly,” Art said.

  “And ‘each according to their needs’?” Tom prompted.

  “The final Marxist goal was to distribute resources, not based upon the job, but based entirely upon the needs of the individual.” Art saw questioning looks. “Say our waiter has seven children, and a wife. Hell, in the Maldives you can have as many as four wives, as long as you can support them. Ed, you only have one child and one wife, right?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Well, our waiter needs more to feed his family so would get more. Can you begrudge him the extra resources?” Art asked.

  “But he can’t do what I can do...hasn’t done what I’ve done!” Ed exclaimed with slight irritation.

  “Doesn’t matter. Your outcomes aren’t relevant in a purely Marxist world.” Art chuckled. “And it just occurred to me that since Sunni Muslims can have up to four wives, Marxism would give them the resources for each, so they might all aspire for four.”

  “How about putting this into context to today’s conference?” Ed challenged.

  “Gladly. The UN claimed all people, in all countries, are equal and thus get an equal amount of carbon credits. America with its disproportionate discharge of CO2 must
reduce its emissions and pay the penalty for the excess, possibly even penalties for past years.”

  “Merit doesn’t matter?”

  “Nope,” Art continued. “According to the UN, everyone is limited to a set amount of CO2 emission. And to make matters worse, the UN is using their power for revenge, just like the early Soviets did. That’s where the ‘carbon debt’ comes in.”

  Sam looked puzzled. “What’s the carbon debt?”

  “Did you miss that part of the meeting?” Tom joked. “It’s the social cost of carbon used by environmentalists and governments to determine the monetary damage caused by higher global temperatures, weather extremes, rising sea levels, agricultural losses and wildfires. There’s actually a US government program called the Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon. Essentially, everything that goes wrong gets blamed on mankind’s use of fossil fuels and the studies consider any possibility of extreme outcome as reason to do anything and everything to mitigate CO2 emissions, and as fast as possible. I’ve seen reports that monetize the carbon debt anywhere from $21 to $1,000 per ton of emissions, with numbers rising to $1,500 per ton in 2050. The higher the numbers, the more ecopoliticians think they can shock the world out of emitting carbon. And 2050 is their goal for stopping the rise of CO2 levels.”

  Sam vented. “But we produce products for the world! We emit CO2 defending the world from tyrants!”

  Tom shrugged. “Again, irrelevant.”

  “What about America’s better emissions control technology?” Sam queried. “Doesn’t that count in mitigating these taxes? Certainly we emit less than China for the same level of production. And our sulfur and nitrous oxide emissions are significantly less. I mean, my industry has spent hundreds of billions installing pollution controls to clean up emissions.”

  “I think that was in yesterday’s four o’clock session,” Tom jibbed. “It’s still irrelevant. They don’t account for efficiency or for non-carbon pollution. In fact, their policies will cause production to shift to countries that won’t follow the UN requirements. They’ll cheat. It’s self-defeating!”