The Invading Sea
  • In the News
  • Editorials
    • Earlier opinion pieces in South Florida media about climate, rising seas
  • Elections
  • Influencers
  • About
No Result
View All Result
The Invading Sea
  • In the News
  • Editorials
    • Earlier opinion pieces in South Florida media about climate, rising seas
  • Elections
  • Influencers
  • About
No Result
View All Result
The Invading Sea
No Result
View All Result

A transition to clean energy would break Russia’s geopolitical hold

A well-designed price on carbon would speed our transition to cleaner energy options throughout the entire economy, from the biggest industries down to individual consumer choices

by Madeleine Para
March 9, 2022
in Influencers
1

By Madeleine Para, Citizens’ Climate Lobby

For years, our planet has been showing us the need to move away from fossil fuels. Extreme weather, driven by excess greenhouse gas emissions, continues to get more frequent andmore expensive to recover from.

Recently, Florida has allocated more than $670 million in federal and state money to cities for climate change adaptation measures, including raising roads and building seawalls. But today, it’s not just the climate pressuring us to get off fossil fuels. Our geopolitical and economic realities are now demanding the same thing.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was swiftly condemned by world leaders, and President Biden announced a host of sanctions designed to cut Russia out of global economic activity. But Biden initially stopped short of direct sanctions on Russia’s primary exports: fossil fuels.

“Russia is incredibly unimportant in the global economy except for oil and gas,” one Harvard economist points out. Ideally, America and our allies would hit them where it really hurts — and indeed, after a few weeks of conflict, bipartisan outcry from Congress prompted Biden to ban imports of Russian fossil fuel. It’s encouraging to see our leaders increasingly willing to say no to the polluting fuels of a petrostate.

Madeleine Para

But of course, limiting the supply of oil and gas is expected to drive prices up, adding financial strain at a time when people are already struggling with inflation. It’s clear we need abundant, affordable energy — but what type?
The American Petroleum Institute, a trade association representing American oil and gas producers, has renewed its call for American energy independence through increased domestic oil and gas production. This is a false solution.

The U.S. is already a net exporter of energy, yet our energy prices are still affected by the actions of other major players like Russia and Saudi Arabia. The “solution” of additional fossil fuels would merely be a swap — an attempt to address one major problem while exacerbating others: climate change and price volatility.

Instead, it’s time to move as quickly as possible to power America with abundant clean energy. That would make our domestic energy prices stable and affordable, freeing us from the volatility of fossil fuel prices.

And of course, clean energy would not dump tons of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, continuing to destabilize our planet’s systems. The clean energy transition would bring more geopolitical, economic, and climatic stability, keeping us safer and more secure on many fronts.

The E.U. is already taking steps in this direction, spurred by Russia’s attack. It’s time for the U.S. to deploy the most effective, fast-acting policies to do the same.

A well-designed price on carbon — which the U.S. Senate is already seriously discussing — would meet all the needs here.

First, imposing a steadily increasing carbon price would speed the transition to cleaner energy options throughout the entire economy, from the biggest industries down to individual consumer choices.

Second, the revenue from the carbon price can be allocated to Americans as a regular dividend or “carbon cashback,” protecting Americans from higher costs and fighting against inflation.

Third, a border carbon adjustment can be used to impose international pressure, which would break the grip of oil states like Russia. The E.U. is already planning to implement a tariff like this, and Republicans in Congress are expressing support for a similar idea.

At the height of Build Back Better negotiations last fall, this idea was a prominent one. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Finance Committee to craft carbon pricing legislation. Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden said, “I’ve had a carbon pricing bill in my desk for the last three years just waiting for the time.”

Republican Senator Mitt Romney — who, it’s worth noting, identified Russia as a threat in 2012 — said in January, “If you’re serious about climate, put a price on carbon.”

It’s time for our elected officials to jump back into these policy discussions with renewed commitment. We can’t wait any longer for the transition to clean energy, and we have broad agreement on the policy that can get us there. Our climate, our energy prices, and the stability of our world are at stake.

Madeleine Para is the executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

“The Invading Sea” is the opinion arm of the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a collaborative of news organizations across the state focusing on the threats posed by the warming climate.

 

Tags: citizens' climate lobbyMadeleine Para
Previous Post

Florida farmers, vulnerable to salt from rising seas, should seek sustainable methods

Next Post

Some of Florida’s farmers and ranchers are adopting practices that will ease the damage from climate change in the state

Related Posts

Eliminating Miami’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability is  no way to fight climate change
Other

A Florida mother has decided that everyone needs to start getting serious about the grim climate-change evidence

by Amanda Sherlock
March 14, 2022
More solar on superstores. Then, a carbon fee.
Influencers

More solar on superstores. Then, a carbon fee.

by Ed Ignatoff
February 15, 2022
Is South Florida Doomed By Sea-Level Rise? Experts Say No. In Fact, They’re Optimistic
Influencers

Make a New Year’s resolution to repair our democracy and tackle the threats from the warming climate

by Sam Daley-Harris
December 29, 2021
Next Post
Some of Florida’s farmers and ranchers are adopting practices that will ease the damage from climate change in the state

Some of Florida’s farmers and ranchers are adopting practices that will ease the damage from climate change in the state

Comments 1

  1. Michele Drucker says:
    4 months ago

    100% Agree! Carbon pricing with a dividend back to the public would be progressive and help the most vulnerable Americans. Carbon pricing would be the patriotic thing to secure America from dangerous petrostates like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. It would also help stop Florida’s frustrating and bitter battles over solar and plastic bag bans. FPL runs on 70% coal and gas. Plastic is made from oil. We could reduce the harmful impacts of these polluting products if they were priced correctly.

Twitter Facebook

About the Project

The Invading Sea is a collaboration by news organizations across Florida to address the threat we face from sea-level rise. We want to raise awareness, amplify the voice of our region and create a call to action that can’t be ignored. Read More

Archives

Categories

Audio Editorials Faces of Sea Level Rise Influencers In The News Other The Business of Climate Change Video

Newsletter

Subscribe

* indicates required


© 2022 The Invading Sea

No Result
View All Result
  • In the News
  • Editorials
    • Earlier opinion pieces in South Florida media about climate, rising seas
  • Elections
  • Influencers
  • About

© 2022 The Invading Sea

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In