Thomas Jefferson may have touched on a timeless and relevant idea in 1801 in his inaugural speech when he said, “The greatest good we can do for our country is to heal its party divisions and make them one people.”
There is no greater polarizing issue dividing our parties today than climate change.
Thanks to decades of careful research, 97 percent of weather and climate scientists report our climate is changing, that we’re responsible and that the impacts are serious. This issue cannot be quietly ignored. Can we find common ground together?
As president, Donald Trump will receive briefings from the Pentagon that will include the military’s assessment that climate change poses an “immediate threat to national security, with increased risks of terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty and food shortage.” A 2014 Pentagon report “lays out a road map to show how the military will adapt to rising sea levels, more violent storms and widespread droughts.” Trump should not ignore the dangerous impacts of this threat to our national security.
Jobs and a strong economy are priorities for conservatives and liberals alike. Building a new power plant fueled by coal or natural gas creates an eighth as many jobs than if the same amount of electricity were created locally by wind and solar.
Climate change is driving emigration from countries affected by rising temperatures. By honoring the Paris agreement and leading the world in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, we can help prevent desertification and rising sea levels from glacial melt. Two-thirds of the world’s biggest cities lie within just a meter or so of sea level. We can prevent a future massive exodus of climate refugees. Devoting resources to keep the planet from over-warming would allow global populations to be able to remain within their own borders.
Some ask, “What’s the point when China isn’t doing anything?” But for the past two years, China has cut its coal use. It is shutting down half-built coal plants and currently leads the world in wind and solar energy.
In Colorado, climate change threatens the health of our forests. It threatens our wildlife, agriculture, tourism, ranching, ski industry and water resources.
Solutions require two big things – that we listen to each other and we work together. As I see it, there are three choices:
Do nothing and continue the status quo as we continue to promote and subsidize fossil fuels. This requires little on Trump’s part. To some, he may look like a hero at first. It will then require strong government intervention on his part and his successor’s to mitigate the effects of climate change that will occur during his leadership.Set up a carbon cap-and-trade system that only grows government.Set up a revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend system – a market-based solution that does not involve the Environmental Protection Agency and does not grow government but instead benefits individual citizens as the fees collected come back to us in the form of a dividend.I encourage President-elect Trump to heal the divisiveness in the U.S. and bring unity through climate change action.
Susan Atkinson is a Durango volunteer with Citizens Climate Lobby, an organization committed to creating the political will for a livable world. Reach her at susan131@aol.com. The public is invited to the Citizens Climate Lobby celebration at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Durango Public Library.
