Some hope for global warming solution

Happy Holidays! What a great Christmas it’s been. It doesn’t get better than spending time with family and friends, and skiing in deep powder. Even got a couple nice presents—some warm socks from my wife, and from my sister, a pencil drawing of my mom from 1944 during her basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I needed the socks. I’ll cherish the portrait.
One present I’m very grateful for came early; another is a gift that’s kept on giving all year. The ongoing gift—one that’ll continue in 2016—is something that benefits the finances of every household. With nationwide gas prices now averaging below $2/gallon, the fuel savings this year per household has been about $1100, or $550 per licensed driver. In fact, Americans have saved $150 billion in fuel for all of 2015! That $1100 will be a great stimulus for our economy and help hardworking families make ends meet.
The “early” Christmas gift towers over the others—even the wool socks. I’m speaking of the strong climate change agreement reached by 187 countries in Paris. While voluntary and with much heavy lifting to come, the deal is a game changer. It gives us hope that maybe, just maybe, we can avoid the worst case scenario and utter catastrophe. It’s a gift to our grandchildren and all mankind; it’s a lifeline to the natural world, it’s an opportunity for innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. It will make our nation and the world safer and more secure.
Are there still deniers and obstructionists? Absolutely. Examples include the billionaire Koch Brothers, the powerful American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and even our Bitterroot’s own Jerry Haslip. But the proverbial elephant in the room of denial and obstruction is our Republican Party. Among the world’s conservative parties our GOP is one of the last, along with Australia, that fervently denies the reality of climate change and cowers in the face of the challenge.
Flashback: Even in the 1970s and early 1980s there was plentiful and credible science that pointed to human-induced climate change. Witness the following quotes:
“There is general scientific agreement that the most likely manner in which mankind is influencing the global climate is through carbon dioxide release from the burning of fossil fuels.” (James Black, 1977)
“[Confronting global warming] would require major reductions in fossil fuel combustion. [Otherwise] there are some potentially catastrophic events that must be considered. Once the effects are measurable, they might not be reversible.” 1982 Primer on Climate Science
“Over the past several years, a clear scientific consensus has emerged. There is unanimous agreement in the scientific community that a temperature increase of this magnitude [3 degrees C] would bring about significant changes in the earth’s climate….” (Roger Cohen, 1982)
So who were these climate change realists? No, not some “biased” tree-hugging enviros or even government scientists. They were all research executives at Exxon! Yes, Exxon’s own excellent research and science models confirmed the link between fossil fuel burning and climate change.
Unfortunately, over the last 25 years Exxon has been the industry leader in pushing the “uncertainty” narrative when it comes to climate change—drumbeating that the science is simply not settled. You know, like what Jerry Haslip parrots.
But go to the Exxon website right now. I mean it. You’ll read: “We believe the risks of climate change are real and those risks warrant constructive action by both policymakers and the business community.” They even have a serious proposal outlined on their website—a revenue neutral carbon tax. For this Exxon deserves credit.
But is Exxon genuinely committed to being a constructive partner and using their gravitas and brute corporate strength in moving us forward? Right now they are not.
While proposing a carbon tax themselves, Exxon refused to sign onto a letter by other big oil corporations (like BP and Shell) that urged the Paris climate deal to include a global carbon tax. Instead, they’ve plowed huge money into ALEC—a Koch Bros front group—that adamantly opposes any carbon tax on fuels. Seems like Exxon is either schizophrenic, disingenuous, or simply wants it both ways.
Big businesses of all types, including energy companies that see the writing on the wall and don’t want to be left behind in the infinite business opportunities, are joining the fight on climate change. So I still hold out hope for Exxon. They’re not dummies. Their near 40-year research validates climate change. They even have a decent carbon tax proposal. Now’s the time Exxon uses their incredible business leverage and political influence. Who knows, Exxon might convince some skeptical Republicans to join the fight.
Here’s my prognostication: Exxon—moderate hope to come around; GOP—some hope, but will their tardiness drive us to self-inflicted oblivion? Koch Bros, ALEC, and Haslip—no hope, none whatsoever.
Van P. Keele
Hamilton