Government regulation — it’s a phrase many Americans hate even more than “gun control” or “liberal elite.” This isn’t surprising, as we live in a country founded on the idea of a free market, capitalistic economy.

And in the days before the technological and industrial revolutions, it may have made more sense to take a near-anarchical approach to our economy.

However, just like our founding fathers couldn’t have predicted automatic rifles when drawing up the second amendment, they couldn’t have predicted man-made climate change when building an economy that was supposed to run free of government intervention.

Just look at all of our environmental problems – increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the heating and acidification of the oceans and rising global temperatures, to name a few.

The scientific community largely agrees that climate change is real and man-made. Oddly enough, these problems started to develop around the Industrial Revolution and have spiraled out of control since the 1970s. Scientists point to mass burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal as the primary cause of this climate change.

I, for one, applaud the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

This plan has attracted many critics who say it will be damaging to our economy and believe that it’s pointless because countries like China are burning massive amounts of coal.

In fact, it’s commonly asserted that China has made great strides towards a highly capitalistic economy. In response to this claim, I urge readers to find pictures of China and see the smog they are forced to breathe on a daily basis as a result of this capitalism gone wild.

Just like the reality of climate change is not debatable, its effects are becoming increasingly apparent.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Resources Defense Council have studied the negative health effects of climate change and concluded that heat-related health issues, respiratory problems, infectious disease and waterborne disease are all increasing problems, and are due to years of unfettered fossil fuel-burning.

For another example of government deregulation gone wrong, look at medical practices from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A little drug called heroin was once used as a cough syrup for children, and was even thought to be the ideal replacement for morphine because it was supposedly less addictive.

We found out that the more powerful cousin of morphine can have lethal effects. Fortunately, the Food and Drug Administration deemed this practice illegal in 1924, and has discontinued hazardous health practices for decades.

While I believe that there is a serious argument to be made for the decriminalization of narcotics, I don’t know too many people who think that treating a cough with heroine should be a safe and accepted practice. Sure, the kid will stop coughing, but eventually he’ll stop doing much of anything else as well.

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