Climate Cake

It seems society is waging war against the industries that make the world go round. Industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction, oil/gas, and mining to name a few. The saddest part about it is that this persecution is all done in the name of “The Environment”. If you take a step back and look at this attack globally, you will start to see clear trends. Trends that look much like 18th century France and smell like cake.

Climate activists circle the globe on private jets, where they all meet in Davos to tell the rest of the world to stop flying on planes. They sip wine and eat steak while telling us how nutritious crickets are, making deals in Ireland to eliminate 1/10th of the cattle, and forcing Dutch farmers to cut their production to the point of unsustainability. They drive their “0 emission” vehicles to signal their fealty to the climate agenda. Yet, they never recognize that they are not actually doing away with the emissions, just outsourcing them elsewhere, far away from them. The irony of this comes from the failure to recognize that simple fact: that climate activist’s tactics are simply to outsource emissions and resources so they don’t have to witness the effects firsthand. 

They want their cake and to eat it too. 

Utah is not immune from this fallacy. It's about time we start applying some common sense to our natural resources and environmental welfare.

Plenty of Utahns stand around and wonder why we have catastrophic wildfires every year. Many will point to climate change or global warming as the cause, but could it be that we no longer manage our forests well? In the name of "saving" our mountains we’ve encumbered logging, hindered grazing, and built homes and cabins so we can no longer let spot fires burn. By doing so we’ve reduced our best known management practices and are now forced to watch it go up in smoke. 

Agriculture is often the brunt of the climate agenda conflict. As our population grows we see an ever increasing need for farmers and ranchers to be more productive, but because of “emission reduction” regulations and government overreach much of our domestic production is being moved overseas while consumption is being imported. A large portion of the beef consumed in the US, including Utah, is imported from Brazil. This increased reliance on Brazilian beef is leading to the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest and the demise of the American Rancher.

Another close to home and current example is aggregate mining. It is no secret that our state is growing rapidly, from new construction to road and water projects this state runs on rock products. Utah consumes between 35 and 40 million tons of aggregate product per year to meet the current demands. Roadbase, gravel, concrete and asphalt all play an important role in our infrastructure. As the growth continues, the need for rock products will increase. Many of the current pits will be mined to completion in 10 to 15 years. We must seek new sources if we are to maintain our quality of life. 

One such mine is seeking to open in Parleys Canyon. 

With all of the construction happening in the Salt Lake Valley, in the canyons, and around Park City, especially in light of Utah seeking to host another Olympics, it only makes sense to produce these materials close to the construction instead of hauling it 30 to 50 miles to the site. If we are seeking cleaner air and less pollution this only makes sense to have trucks hauling shorter distances.

So, what happens when a project like this is proposed and meets all the legal requirements and statutes? Special interest groups mobilize to stop it, they put out their call to action and begin to spread the same old message: "Save the Environment.” But is that the real concern?

These activists are the same people who build million dollar homes carved into the sides of mountains, and cut mile upon mile of roads in the canyons, using the very products they are fighting against. It is reported that one of these homes even imported rock from Europe. Hauling rocks from the other side of the planet sure sounds climate friendly to me! They are more than happy to haul rock products to build their roads and homes, as long as it is produced somewhere they can't see it, hauled down I-15, through Salt Lake, and up the canyon.
 
Again, they want their cake and to eat it too. 

Don't get me wrong, I am all about advocating and fighting for something you believe in, but let’s be honest about our intentions and motivations. If this was truly about the environment, these sensible discussions would be had. I think it is a tremendous thing to build beautiful homes, drive electric cars, and live the American dream, especially here in this great state. Yet, at the same time, we can also seek sustainable solutions, prepare for the future, and of course be good stewards of the environment.

But, as always, the climate agenda is about outsourcing emissions. Out of sight, out of mind. It doesn't matter to them whether there is added pollution in the valley. They won’t be the ones most affected by the inevitable cost increases or product shortages which will disproportionately affect Utah’s middle class families. Nor do they account for the increased burden on the Utah tax payer for the rising cost of critical infrastructure. 

No, they will sit in their ivory towers, breathing their mountain air, all the while the words echo down the canyon: "Let them eat cake".

- Carson Jorgensen


After an extensive and detailed review, UDAQ issued its "Intent to Approve" the Air Permit on May 25, 2023, along with a copy of the draft permit conditions. Granite concurs with UDAQ's analysis and conclusion that the proposed aggregate facility fully complies with all air quality requirements. Therefore, we kindly request that UDAQ issue the final permit.
 
To ensure your comments are included, please submit them as soon as possible but no later than July 14th. All public comments should be sent to John Persons at [email protected], referencing the DA DAQE number DAQE-IN161200001-23.
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