To Solve the Climate Crisis, Liberate the Discourse
Western governments are cracking down on climate dissent, censoring both activists and skeptics in their push to preserve costly green agendas that drive up household energy bills. The climate crisis can only be addressed through robust and open discourse. Governments should step aside.
A new report from Climate Rights International (CRI), a non-governmental organization based in Berkeley, California, details the “disproportionate” and “punitive” measures used by governments in countries like Germany, the UK, and the U.S. to suppress climate activists. CRI accuses these governments of using excessive force, broad legislative measures, and harsh penalties to stifle climate protests, especially those advocating for more aggressive action against climate change. While many of these Western governments publicly support climate activists and frame climate change as an urgent crisis, they’re simultaneously using these harsh measures to crack down on protests. This hypocrisy reveals a deeper agenda: maintaining control over the narrative and limiting open debate.
Even more troubling is the way governments work together with well-funded organizations to censor climate skeptics who challenge the mainstream narrative. Over the past few years, Google and YouTube have implemented policies that demonetize and limit the reach of content they deem contradicts the “well-established scientific consensus” on climate change. Facebook has fact-checked critiques from respected scientists and analysts like Bjorn Lomborg, director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, and Steven Koonin, former director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at NYU, for challenging climate policies rooted in extreme views and worst-case scenarios about the climate crisis.
The U.S. government has endorsed these measures, with former White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy ramping up the pressure in 2022, calling on Big Tech companies to crack down even further on what she labeled as climate “disinformation.” But her demand raises a deeper question: Who decides what qualifies as “disinformation,” and at what point does it become a tool used by the government to suppress legitimate debate?
At the same time, wealthy foundations and advocacy groups are shaping the climate narrative through extensive financial influence. They use their resources to sideline voices questioning the feasibility or costs of rapid green policies, leaving little room for meaningful discourse.
As these groups push aggressive climate agendas, the real-world impact falls hardest on ordinary people. In Germany, there have been substantial increases in energy prices, with electricity prices soaring to nearly €0.37 per kilowatt-hour (around $0.40), more than double the global average. A substantial portion of this increase has historically been due to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) surcharge, which was introduced to fund the expansion of renewable energy like wind and solar. Before its abolition in mid-2022, this surcharge accounted for a significant portion of electricity costs.
In the UK, energy costs skyrocketed as well, particularly following the energy crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. By the summer of 2022, average household energy bills increased by nearly 54%, placing tremendous strain on British families. In the U.S., energy prices have risen by 22% during the Biden administration, in line with its aggressive clean energy agenda.
These rising costs disproportionately impact lower- and middle-income households, which are least equipped to absorb them. Meanwhile, dissenting voices that raise questions about the long-term sustainability of current climate policies continue to be sidelined. The political and economic elites pushing these policies may not face the same immediate financial consequences, but the average citizen is already paying the price, whether in higher utility bills or reduced disposable income.
By silencing critical voices, powerful governments and well-funded organizations are choking the broader debate on balancing environmental action with economic reality. Their combined influence risks deepening inequality and imposing steep costs on ordinary people, all while pushing a rapid green agenda that ignores the practical limitations and human impacts. Open dialogue is crucial. Without it, real solutions that protect both the planet and people can’t emerge.
Iulia Lupse is the founder of I&A Communications Solutions and a contributor with Young Voices. Born in Romania, she is now based in New York. Follow her on X at @IuliaL27
