Africans could be aware of Christmas if not dependent on ‘green’ energy as slaves
As the Christmas season comes to a close and radio stations return to their usual playlists, there’s one song I won’t miss: the dreaded British tune “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” Written almost four decades ago to raise funds for Ethiopia’s famine victims, this song is best known for prompting millions of people worldwide to change the station. Despite its noble intentions and support for a worthy cause, it’s an incredibly annoying and sanctimonious song.
The Ethiopian famine, which affected approximately 8 million people, was primarily caused by the tribal chaos resulting from the country’s decade-long civil war. While Western nations’ generosity did help, it was fossil fuels that ultimately saved the nation. In 1984, the United States alone donated nearly 800,000 metric tons of food worth over $400 million. Our ability to produce such surplus yields was made possible by advancements in farm equipment, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Our agricultural abundance is only possible because of fossil fuels. If you were to tell a Gen Zer, sipping on a plastic water bottle from Fiji and enjoying avocado toast, that most of humanity has experienced hunger, they wouldn’t comprehend it. They would be the first to block traffic in the name of protesting against fossil fuels.
The line, “In our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy,” needs a fact-check. It’s not just luck. It’s the result of life-saving agricultural practices made possible by fossil fuels. The song claims that in Africa, “Nothing ever grows. No rain nor rivers flow.” But in Africa, the land that was once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, this statement seems like an excuse for everything, even back then.
The New Green Slavery
There’s another reason why these British singers need to reconsider their stance, apart from their failure to acknowledge the role of oil, gas, and coal in improving agriculture. Africa today is arguably worse off than it was in the 1980s. Nearly 40 million people across Africa and other parts of the world are affected by slavery, a trend driven by developed nations. This number is so staggering that it surpasses the total number of slaves during the peak of the transatlantic slave trade, a dark period in our history.
Let’s think about this in light of recent calls for reparations, the removal of statues of Founding Fathers, and the erasure of names like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson from high schools. Our nation is outraged about the past but indifferent about the present.
Once again, it’s the developed world that is driving the slave trade, and many nations share the blame: North America, China, South Korea, Japan, and all of Europe. It’s not just cheap goods we desire, but also the rare-earth elements that power almost all “green” energy sources like wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery storage units.
Take cobalt, for example, an essential component of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for the adoption of electric vehicles by 2035, but cobalt doesn’t come from West Virginia mines or the fields of the Permian Basin. Amnesty International estimates that 40,000 children, some as young as 6 years old, work in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These mines are operated by communist China, which supports Congo’s leaders. These child laborers have no labor unions to negotiate fair wages or paid time off. There are no safety training or OSHA regulations. It’s simply forced labor, all in the name of “climate change,” and the virtuous world leaders turn a blind eye.
Climate Hysteria Powers Slavery
“Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you,” Bono shrieked in that song. I agree, and I’m grateful that my gas-powered truck doesn’t rely on child slavery to function. Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s green agenda can’t say the same.
Let’s consider another line: “Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time.” Today, that lyric explicitly excludes Congolese slave children. We have deemed “climate change” more important than their well-being. We’re no different from our predecessors who considered cheap cotton worth the exploitation of slaves in the past.
The pursuit of green energy is driving the modern slave trade.
Of course, fossil fuels have their drawbacks and limitations. As someone who advocates for them, I’m willing to acknowledge those downsides honestly and objectively. But no matter how much the green movement despises oil, natural gas, or coal, they must accept the truth that their “green” energy relies on the forced labor of Congolese children.
End Oil, Erect Slave Camps
Recently, the United Nations’ annual climate summit, COP28, concluded in Dubai with an agreement to phase out fossil fuels and embrace green energy. This is devastating news for Congolese slave children, yet no musician will compose a song for them. “Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?” I can assure you, they do not.
Perhaps if the child slave camps were located in Ukraine, our elected officials would care.
American fossil fuels have built our nation. They drive our economy, power our military, and ensure our national security. They feed the world. Fossil fuels are affordable, abundant, and clean. They provide life-saving power and products to everyone. And most importantly, they are completely free of child slavery. Yet, for some reason, we have a president and a powerful green movement that prefer expensive, unreliable, intermittent, weather-dependent “green” energy that enslaves millions. This is the so-called “energy transition” we hear so much about.
My American fossil fuels are not tainted by slave labor. Your “green” energy is. And no feel-good song can change that.
rnrn
How does modern-day slavery relate to the pursuit of “green” energy
The Annoying Hypocrisy of “Do They Know It’s Christmas”
As the Christmas season comes to a close and radio stations return to their usual playlists, there’s one song I won’t miss: the dreaded British tune “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” Written almost four decades ago to raise funds for Ethiopia’s famine victims, this song is best known for prompting millions of people worldwide to change the station. Despite its noble intentions and support for a worthy cause, it’s an incredibly annoying and sanctimonious song.
The Ethiopian famine, which affected approximately 8 million people, was primarily caused by the tribal chaos resulting from the country’s decade-long civil war. While Western nations’ generosity did help, it was fossil fuels that ultimately saved the nation. In 1984, the United States alone donated nearly 800,000 metric tons of food worth over $400 million. Our ability to produce such surplus yields was made possible by advancements in farm equipment, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Our agricultural abundance is only possible because of fossil fuels. If you were to tell a Gen Zer, sipping on a plastic water bottle from Fiji and enjoying avocado toast, that most of humanity has experienced hunger, they wouldn’t comprehend it. They would be the first to block traffic in the name of protesting against fossil fuels.
The line, “In our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy,” needs a fact-check. It’s not just luck. It’s the result of life-saving agricultural practices made possible by fossil fuels. The song claims that in Africa, “Nothing ever grows. No rain nor rivers flow.” But in Africa, the land that was once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, this statement seems like an excuse for everything, even back then.
The New Green Slavery
There’s another reason why these British singers need to reconsider their stance, apart from their failure to acknowledge the role of oil, gas, and coal in improving agriculture. Africa today is arguably worse off than it was in the 1980s. Nearly 40 million people across Africa and other parts of the world are affected by slavery, a trend driven by developed nations. This number is so staggering that it surpasses the total number of slaves during the peak of the transatlantic slave trade, a dark period in our history.
Let’s think about this in light of recent calls for reparations, the removal of statues of Founding Fathers, and the erasure of names like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson from high schools. Our nation is outraged about the past but indifferent about the present.
Once again, it’s the developed world that is driving the slave trade, and many nations share the blame: North America, China, South Korea, Japan, and all of Europe. It’s not just cheap goods we desire, but also the rare-earth elements that power almost all “green” energy sources like wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery storage units.
Take cobalt, for example, an essential component of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for the adoption of electric vehicles by 2035, but cobalt doesn’t come from West Virginia mines or the fields of the Permian Basin. Amnesty International estimates that 40,000 children, some as young as 6 years old, work in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These mines are operated by communist China, which supports Congo’s leaders. These child laborers have no labor unions to negotiate fair wages or paid time off. There are no safety training or OSHA regulations. It’s simply forced labor, all in the name of “climate change,” and the virtuous world leaders turn a blind eye.
Climate Hysteria Powers Slavery
“Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you,” Bono shrieked in that song. I agree, and I’m grateful that my gas-powered truck doesn’t rely on child slavery to function. Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s green agenda can’t say the same.
Let’s consider another line: “Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time.” Today, that lyric explicitly excludes Congolese slave children. We have deemed “climate change” more important than their well-being. We’re no different from our predecessors who considered cheap cotton worth the exploitation of slaves in the past.
In conclusion, “Do They Know It’s Christmas” may have had good intentions, but it fails to recognize the complex realities of famine and the unintended consequences of certain environmental initiatives. It’s important to acknowledge the role of fossil fuels in alleviating hunger and to address the ongoing issue of modern-day slavery driven by the pursuit of “green” energy. Let’s strive for a more nuanced understanding of the world’s challenges and work towards solutions that benefit all, rather than promoting simplistic and misleading narratives.
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