These things push up costs of living, costs of housing, costs of doing business - at a time when such artificial costs are presenting an existential threat to our way of life.

There is a part of the balance sheet that you aren't looking at that is presenting an existential threat. A higher bill for energy isn't an existential risk.

This childishly reductive paradigm of victimhood in relation to every macro and microscopic element of western life is a noose around our necks.

It's called actions having consequences. If costs and benefits aren't properly accounted for, then you get market failure.