Long before the Clean Power Plan was released last week, opponents of the president’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at power plants attacked it with prophecies of doom and gloom that made the Book of Revelation sound like a Dr. Seuss story.
Here’s the most important thing you need to know about the new climate regulations: “Just say no” is not a viable option.
We know97 percent of climate scientists are convinced that human-caused global warming is happening. Think of these scientists as the earth’s oncologists. When 97 out of 100 say we have cancer, the only discussion to have is one regarding treatment, which means finding ways to drastically reduce carbon pollution.
Sunday’s AJC offered an eye-opening report on the impact climate change is projected to have on coastal Georgia in the coming decades. Billions of dollars in property could be lost to encroaching seas, not to mention decimation of ecosystems that provide livelihoods for many.
Critics present the debate on the Clean Power Plan as a choice between the environment and the economy. That choice was a no-brainer for Atlanta-based corporate giants Coca-Cola and United Parcel Service. Along with 365 other companies, they signed on to a letter urging states to implement the new carbon pollution standards:
“Our support is firmly grounded in economic reality,” the letter said. “Clean energy solutions are cost effective and innovative ways to drive investment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions… Clear and consistent policies can send market signals that help businesses and investors plan for the future. We are seeking long-term policies that provide the certainty needed to transition to a clean energy economy.”
Under the CPP, Georgia must reduce carbon emissions 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, an easily achievable goal because of two big factors:
- Georgia has emissions-free nuclear power coming online that will power half a million homes.
- The passage of House Bill 57 by the General Assembly makes it easier for homeowners to finance solar power systems.
The incentive to reduce carbon pollution and easier access to financing solar energy will position Georgia to join the “rooftop revolution” and add jobs to our economy.
The CPP provides states with great flexibility to achieve the desired emissions reductions. State plans, which must be finalized by 2018, “could accommodate imposition by a state of a fee for CO2 emissions,” according to the EPA. For those worried about rising electric rates, revenue from that fee could be returned directly to Georgia households, thereby offsetting any rate increases.
How will the CPP affect our economy? It depends on the pathway Georgia chooses to comply with the mandate. A study released late last month by Georgia Tech found that the least-cost compliance pathway involves combining renewable energy with efficiency policies, plus adding a small price on carbon. Benefits of this pathway include “lower electricity bills across all customer classes, greater GDP growth, and significant reductions” in air pollution.
We must act now, because a business-as-usual scenario would increase average global temperatures 4 degrees Celsius (7 Fahrenheit) by 2100. Such an increase would result in cataclysmic changes that include extreme heat waves, reduced food supplies and a sea-level rise displacing hundreds of millions of people, according to the World Bank. Nations of the world are expected to reach a climate agreement in Paris at year’s end. A strong commitment from the U.S. is needed to assure success and cooperation from other countries.
Critics of the Clean Power Plan are entitled to their say, but only if they have a better solution, such as a national revenue-neutral carbon fee. “Just say no” is clearly not an option.
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