Yes We Can! Long IslandMost conservative Republican politicians refuse to acknowledge that global warming is man-made or controllable. So how does a staunch republican conservative support an energy bill that goes beyond drill baby drill, when he realizes that the younger than 30 crowd grew up with recycling and believes that climate change is real? Simple don’t mention “climate change”, call it a plan to “reduce carbon pollution” or “gain energy independence” or “a jobs program”. I guess I’ll accept the spin if it can help the USA restore leadership in clean energy and bring sustainable jobs to Long island.
NY Times Op-Ed by Thomas Freidman
I am sitting with Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, who, along with John Kerry and Joe Lieberman, is trying to craft a new energy bill — one that could actually win 60 votes. Graham’s approach to bringing around his conservative state has been simple: avoid talking about “climate change,” which many on the right don’t believe. Instead, frame our energy challenge as a need to “clean up carbon pollution,” to “become energy independent” and to “create more good jobs and new industries for South Carolinians.” He proposes “putting a price on carbon,” starting with a very focused carbon tax, as opposed to an economywide cap-and-trade system, so as to spur both consumers and industries to invest in and buy new clean energy products. He includes nuclear energy, and insists on permitting more offshore drilling for oil and gas to give us more domestic sources, as we bridge to a new clean energy economy.
Read Thomas Friedman’s entire Op-Ed at NYTimes.com.
No matter what you call it, the nation needs to shift to clean renewable energy sources. Jobs creation and energy independence are OK as far as they go. However if we don't have goals that stop the carbon dioxide build up in our atmosphere we may suffer catastrophic consequences. I fear that jobs and energy independence won't help us achieve the more critical global environmental goal.