What You Need to Know
The United States and the world are presently working very hard to understand and mitigate the coronavirus pandemic. This crisis has caused great suffering and death, and has stalled global economic and social activity. Some environmental advocates have suggested that climate change poses a threat similar to a pandemic and can similarly be mitigated by dramatic, sweeping changes to public policy and human activity.
Everyone can agree that we need a healthy planet for today and for future generations. Climate change is real, and human activity does have some impact on the climate. Yet, climate change is not similar to a pandemic. The climate has always changed, and the most extreme changes occurred well before the industrial revolution.
While the majority of scientists agree that the climate is warming, the science is not “settled.” Yet, some policymakers want the United States to achieve extreme de-carbonization and even net zero emissions to stop climate change. Democrat lawmakers are pushing the Green New Deal (GND), a trillion dollar regulatory plan that would make energy, food, and common household products more expensive for American families (one study finds the GND will cost families $70,000 in the first year alone) while failing to reduce emissions.
There is a better way forward. Instead of adopting radical green policies that will destroy the U.S. economy and create a humanitarian crisis at home, policymakers should pursue a balanced and pragmatic approach to keep our planet healthy while also improving quality of life for all mankind.
