At the meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, the president of a Chinese technology company touted new technology that will track an individual’s carbon footprint, which, it is hoped, will lead consumers to “do the right thing,” as it pertains to climate change.
On a panel discussing “responsible consumption” at Davos, J. Michael Evans of Alibaba Group USA announced that the Chinese tech conglomerate would soon be launching what he calls an individual “carbon footprint tracker,” so that consumers may see in real time how much carbon their daily activities contribute to so-called global warming.
“We’re developing, through technology, an ability for consumers to measure their own carbon footprint. What does that mean? That’s where are they traveling, how are they traveling, what are they eating, what are they consuming on the platform,” Evans said.
The technology for the carbon footprint tracker is not quite ready according to Evans, but it is on the way.
“So, individual carbon footprint tracker, stay tuned! We don’t have it operational yet, but this is something we’re working on,” Evans said.
Proponents of individual liberty worry that such a device could eventually be used by governments as a way of tracking what they consider good behavior as it relates to not only climate change but also other aspects of life — similar to China’s social credit system. That system rewards those who comply with government dictates and punishes those who stray from the government’s recommended practices.
Evans himself touted such a system in principle: “If they take advantage of those recommendations, we’ll give them bonus points that they can redeem elsewhere on our platform. So, they’re incentivized to do the right thing even if they were provided with the opportunity to decide to do the wrong thing.”
“The right thing” being in the eyes of whoever programs the device, naturally.
J.D. Vance, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, pointed out the obvious hypocrisy of the WEF elites, many of whom took carbon-spewing private jets to the Davos event, telling others they need to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Imagine flying a private jet to a conference of the world’s most powerful people and then lecturing other people on their carbon footprint,” Vance tweeted.
Kyle Bass, chief investment officer at Hayman Capital Management, found Evans’ new technology “frightening.”
“Frightening. I wonder if Alibaba will develop a world record for carbon emissions?” Bass asked.
Twitter user “Just asking questions” foresaw a near future where such a device could be used to place a limit on carbon usage.
“They are going to put a cap on the carbon you can consume, per day, and you will have to watch what you do to not go over it,” the user tweeted. “They are going to force us to live like serfs.”
Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles even likened the technology to the “mark of the beast,” spoken of in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 13:16: “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.”
Revelation 13:17: “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
While it might be a stretch to proclaim Alibaba’s new carbon tracking device as the “mark of the beast” referred to in the Bible, it’s definitely a weird new development that bears watching as organizations such as the World Economic Forum continue to gain influence. After all, none other than Klaus Schwab said this week: “The future is made by us.”
