Elizabeth Harrington of the Washington Free Beacon details another dubious use of your tax dollars.

The National Science Foundation is spending roughly $3 million on a study that seeks to make Americans consume less food, water, and energy to become more like the Netherlands.

Researchers at Michigan Technological University are searching for ways to “change people’s behavior” out of fear of global warming. The study, which was awarded during the final year of the Obama administration, is using “interactive role-playing activities” to teach families how to consume less.

“Changing people’s behavior may be the hardest part of mitigating climate change,” the university said when announcing the grant. “But a research team led by Michigan Technological University wants to find a way to do just that.”

The study is developing a “Household Metabolism Tracker” that can monitor how much energy and water Americans consume. …

… The project claims the research will “increase the well-being of individuals at the household level” by encouraging Americans to eat less and use less electricity, while also reducing “climate-related risks” and increasing “economic competitiveness.”

The study’s ultimate goal is to work with other researchers in the Netherlands to find ways to emulate the progressive European country’s energy use.