Fixing Climate Change May Actually Save Money

Sarah Palin: "Alaska feels the effects of global warming more than any other state."

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/07/sarah-palin-alaska-feels-impact-of.html

***

Addressing climate change may not add costs, report says. "A global commission will announce its finding on Tuesday that an ambitious series of measures to limit emissions would cost $4 trillion or so over the next 15 years, an increase of roughly 5 percent over the amount that would likely be spent anyway on new power plants, transit systems and other infrastructure. When the secondary benefits of greener policies — like lower fuel costs, fewer premature deaths from air pollution and reduced medical bills — are taken into account, the changes might wind up saving money, according to the findings of the group, the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate." Justin Gillis in The New York Times.

How fighting climate change could save the planet AND rebuild the economy. Lori Montgomery.

New policies — easier said than done in gridlocked U.S. — would be needed in three areas. "1. An end to fossil fuel subsidies, imposition of new taxes on carbon and the adoption of new rules to encourage the growth of renewable energy, such as wind and solar. 2. Financial innovations to encourage governments and the private sector to invest in badly needed upgrades of public infrastructure, which are likely to be more energy-efficient. And 3. More support for low-carbon innovators, including strong patent protections and more public spending on research and development." Lori Montgomery in The Washington Post.

Chart: NASA ranks August 2014 as the warmest on record. Andrea Thompson inClimate Central.

Report says big corporations outdoing governments on carbon pricing. "The progressive corporate sector plans to make a major push at next week’s climate change summit in New York for the introduction of a meaningful global price for carbon, believing it to be one of the most effective measures to keep temperature rises within 2C. The World Bank is also taking a lead on carbon pricing and will unveil a long list of states, regions and businesses announcing plans to factor in the costs of burning fossil fuels....CDP, the sustainable-economy non-profit, has compiled the first global database which shows that the world’s largest corporations are outpacing their governments in responding to climate change and expect carbon to be priced." Jo Confino in The Guardian.

A science-textbook battle is brewing in Texas over climate change. "Bradley is not a climate scientist, but he's about to make big decisions governing what Texas students learn about climate change. In November, Bradley and the rest of the state's 15-member board will vote to adopt new social-studies textbooks for public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade....Bradley plans to push for textbooks that teach climate-science doubt—presenting the link between greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity and global warming as an unsubstantiated and controversial theory. For people who do study the climate for a living, that mission is infuriating, as such a posture misrepresents the state of climate science." Clare Foran in National Journal.