Insufficient progress

The meeting is over. Representatives from nearly 200 countries have flown home from Glasgow, Scotland, ending their mission described by scientists and environmental advocates as the last, best chance to save the Earth from climate calamity. Not surprisingly, I suppose, the UN conference was long on promises but short on action.

I was hoping world leaders would come down hard on the oil and coal industries, our biggest polluters. I for one am all-in on putting a price on carbon, a policy supported by scientists and leading economists as being the strongest, fairest, most equitable, and most practical policy to implement. In the U.S., revenues from this program could be distributed to our citizens suffering most from the results of the growing release of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. Carbon pricing would also protect us from the tariffs the EU and Canada are considering slapping on imports from countries without a carbon pricing program.

Countries at the summit signed on to a pledge to increase forestation and reduce methane gases. That’s progress. They only promised to reduce, but not eliminate, emissions from fossil fuels. Promises without consequences are empty. And that’s kicking the can down the road.

Tom Benemann

Spokane