There is hope to mitigate climate change
Your Turn
Daniel Marie Special to Iowa City Press-Citizen
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season draw near, we all remember the importance of “counting your blessings.” In today’s public scene, this can be quite hard when politicians are fighting in Washington D.C. and a looming impeachment inquiry divides Americans. On a global level, many problems seem to only intensify, including threats from environmental degradation and climate change. But in spite of all these unsettling or even horrific realities, there is much to be thankful for. Particularly with the climate crisis, there is great hope like never before to mitigate and even reverse climate change.
Project Drawdown, which can be found at drawdown.org, is an initiative in 2017 proposing the 100 most effective solutions to climate change. If enacted over 30 years, these solutions could reduce global carbon emissions to pre-industrial levels. At the same time, these solutions would help lead communities and nations to greater levels of economic prosperity and solve other global problems at the same time.
More sustainable agricultural practices, renewable energy, and even education and family planning for women and girls could save or generate trillions of dollars for the world’s GDP and help populations globally reach higher levels of quality of life.
Great potential exists for the U.S. and other nations to come together and mitigate and even reverse climate change. Even though the U.S. is preparing to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, many European and Asian economic powers remain dedicated to the agreement. Those nations are working to reduce carbon emissions and generate renewable energy. In the U.S., many states, local governments, and large businesses also remain devoted to the agreement’s goals.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers from both parties are coming together to propose legislation for action on climate change. H.R. 763, the Carbon Fee and Dividends Act, is such legislation and would tax carbon and pay dividends back to U.S. families to invest in lowering carbon emissions. Over the next 20 years, this act could lower carbon emissions to 50% of 1990 levels and create millions of jobs. A key part of the Trump Administration’s agenda, along with many
other politicians’, is to influence U.S. job growth like never before in these times of technological change. Such great promise exists when legislation for lowering carbon emissions would benefit all Americans and address priorities from both ends of the political spectrum.
This Thanksgiving, include in your blessings the great promise of real solutions to the climate crisis for a better world in the decades and centuries ahead. Be part of the solution by learning some of the solutions from Project Drawdown that you can implement in your community, family, and personal life. Take the time to call your Representatives and Senators, and tell them how legislation like the Carbon Fee and Dividends tax will help make life better for future generations as well as generating good jobs for Americans. May you find many blessings this Thanksgiving and holiday season, including remembering the great promise and hope for solutions to the climate crisis.
Daniel Marie is a citizen of Coralville who is working to help spread awareness of solutions to climate change.