Do the Right Thing on Climate Change

by Tom Donohue

There have been many calls over the past few weeks for the U.S. to show leadership on climate change by passing the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act.  While we all agree that action needs to be taken on climate change I have learned over the years that true leadership means doing the right thing not just something. 

Doing the right thing on climate changes means ensuring that we have the best scientific data available.  It means looking at what technology can do, and not relying on best case scenarios.  It means looking at the global picture, and not creating ineffective local solutions.  And perhaps most importantly it means educating the American public to the costs of reducing our nation’s carbon impact, because it will be expensive, and every American will pay.  Anyone who tells you this is going to be cheap and easy is not telling you the truth; and by trying to minimize the impact will ultimately reduce our chances of success.

Doing the right thing on climate change means taking an approach which must:

1. address the international nature of global climate change
2. promote accelerated technology development and deployment
3. preserve American jobs and the economy
4. reduce barriers to development of climate-friendly energy sources
5. promote energy efficiency measures

The current bill before Congress, unfortunately, fails in each of these.

We are working closely with our nation’s lawmakers and our business members, many of whom, by the way, produce the energy we use and know the technology better than any policy expert, to develop comprehensive solutions which are effective, and importantly possible.  This issue is too important to do “something” just for the sake of saying we did it.  We must work together to do the right thing.

Comments

[ChamberPost]

Giles - We are going to address each point over the course of the week. Check back. Thanks for asking. (BP)

[William]

It stopped warming 10 years ago. NASA restated numbers and 1934 was the warmest year. The last 2 years have had strong cooling. The oceans have cooled.

[giles]

No examples? Just flat statements with no proof?

What wording in the bill fails to meet your concerns with each point?

And what order of importance?