Better yet, why don't we force the climate advocates to work for no pay (with only rice and watter for food) and spend the rest on r&d? I think that would contribute even more to the overall movement.
Vast majority of the people who want more climate change action want green energy, more regulation of fossil fuels, and more efficient day today life activities.
They do not generally want everyone to eat rice everyday. Maybe the most extreme ones do, but that's the nature of every group, there are extreme nutters.