No, we can’t impose quotas for everyone to live like monks!

Adopting a minimalist lifestyle would reduce global warming only marginally, and such a full-taxation strategy would not lift people out of poverty.

A government policy that imposes consumption quotas on each household to reduce carbon emissions would be comparable to imposing high taxes and rigid regulations. Such a strategy would suffer from the same shortcomings as communist systems:
• An overbearing government, requiring extensive policing to enforce compliance across all income levels.
• An inefficient command economy, poorly redirecting work and spending toward building a clean-energy infrastructure.
• Failure to effectively tax the political cronies, while disproportionately burdening the poorest.

Living like monks is unrealistic as it neither supports population growth nor addresses the threats of pandemics or foreign aggression.

The world requires diligent effort, not frugality, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The global population is growing, primarily due to aging rather than high birth rates. To meet future demands, we need advanced technologies—such as GMOs to reduce reliance on fertilizers and vertical farming to maximize space efficiency. Similarly, cutting-edge technologies are essential for healthcare and defense in a world where viruses and authoritarian regimes still pose significant threats.

The goal is not merely to reduce consumption slightly, but to transition to a fully carbon-free economy that supports robust job creation.

Having contributed heavily to global CO2 levels, wealthy nations cannot simply prevent poorer countries from using their coal reserves without offering compensation and assistance. Countries such as China and India, in particular, demand such support to build their green-energy infrastructure. Wealthy nations therefore have a responsibility to develop and share carbon-free technologies with developing countries.