There has at least been some progress from political conservatives wite regards to climate change. Politicians now (reluctantly) agree that it’s happening, but do not yet publicly agree that it’s man made. I’d like to seriously pose a question to skeptics: so what if we’re wrong?
As a “thought exercise,” let’s examine what would happen if humans are not actually causing climate change, but our actions were based on the assumption that we are responsible, or a “false positive.” If we eliminate climate change from the list of harmful effects of burning fossil fuels, then we still have a long and serious list:
Burning Coal
Mining Coal
- Methane Emissions from Coal Beds (ignore because of our assumptions)
- Water Quality Issues like toxic chemical runoff
- Natural Habitat Destruction (mountain top removal and deforestation)
Oil Production
- Groundwater Contamination during drilling
- Refinery Emissions
- Habitat Destruction
- Pollution from Shipping
- Toxic Pools from Refining Tar Sands
Oil Consumption
- Local Air Quality Issues like Smog
- Acid Rain
- Major Price Fluctuations Disrupting the Economy
. . . . and MANY more.
Measures to curb the use of fossil fuels are worth taking, even without the climate change implications. Opponents of proposed climate change legislation argue that if passed, it would cause the price of energy to skyrocket. I do not believe that to be the case when taking into account other initiatives. The price per unit will go up, but other factors like energy efficiency initiatives, subsidies and resulting decreased consumption will offset a lot of the costs to consumers.
While Cap and Trade does have its drawbacks, it serves to shift the actual costs to the producers. Cap and Trade is a tax on energy, but again I say “so what?” I am already taxed for energy, just indirectly. Air quality issues alone cause asthma, hospitalizations, lost work days, and even death. Since we do not have universal health care (discussion I will avoid), our taxes are covering treatment. Since the expiration of the initial Superfund legislation, cleanup is paid for by tax dollars.
There are already hidden taxes. It’s now time for the ones causing the problems to actually pay them.
