BUILDING A GREEN FUTURE?

Why this moment in history demands climate optimism

WORDS BY GRANT MORGAN | ART BY AMANDA O’BRIEN

Those paying attention to the news surrounding climate change recently may have noticed some concerning trends. From the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) “code red” declaration in their most recent climate report and the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) suggestion to stop oil drilling this year, to the United Nations’ new “now or never” climate change slogan, the situation appears to be increasingly alarming. Many, including those within politics, are starting to think humanity has truly found a problem it is unable to solve.

However, this line of thinking is not only erroneous; it is also unacceptable. Climate change is an existential problem, but if handled correctly, it is also a substantial opportunity, not only for America, but for the entire world as a whole. Despite what many think and feel, climate doomerism is not the correct response to our current problems; instead the current moment in history requires a new political movement which is predicated on optimism, hope, and unrelenting determination.

Our Current State in the Climate Crisis

When assessing the current situation, the outlook does appear bleak. From President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better legislation being reduced from $3.5

trillion in spending to about $1.7 trillion and the world’s continued subsidization of fossil fuels at about $5.9 trillion a year (or $11 million a minute) to many countries refraining from taking action to meet their reduction targets, many feel governments are not doing enough to ameliorate this issue. It does not take a climate scientist to realize the government has been asleep at the wheel for the past ten years on this issue.

Professor James Van Nostrand from West Virginia University Law School stated that the green transition was, “not happening fast enough,” and that, “more urgency is needed,” in regard to policy responses to climate change.

Nostrand, like many around the country, has been increasingly disappointed by Sen. Joe Manchin’s recent actions to reduce the salient parts of Biden’s climate agenda, parts which many experts agreed would have helped to signifi cantly reduce the country’s carbon emissions. Furthermore, Nostrand also stated that the country, “really had a loss decade,” around the issue of climate change, and that this decade was essentially lost because of, “faulty politically leaders,” who have been telling people, “what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.” This insight helps highlight why so many people are feeling pessimistic about climate policy.

Political leaders across the country have failed to frame the green transition as something that could be positive or economically advantageous. Instead, many treat the transition as an issue of individual responsibility. Over the last decade, this strategy has given many people the impression that in order to solve climate change they must take shorter showers, eat less meat and more insects, and retrain themselves for green jobs which are non-unionized and lower paying (in comparison to coal or natural gas jobs). Instead of having a dialogue with unions, workers, communities, and businesses around a green transition, political leaders have continuously tried to push off the inevitable. Now, as things become increasingly acute, this option is no longer viable or sustainable. However, Nostrand does not seem to think that means all doom and gloom.

The Potential for Greatness

Nostrand, along with most climatechange-focused academics, agrees federal action will be required to meet emission targets. Furthermore, Nostrand also agreed that a green transition by the federal government, apart from requiring steadfast leadership, is also going to require robust fi scal and monetary policy which will help to provide a decent economic environment for the transition.

These kinds of actions are already happening, though not yet on a large scale. For example, recently Biden has created “listening groups” to investigate which kind of transitions would work best for local actors in West Virginia. Instead of creating top-down approaches to policy-making, these groups seem to be visiting the parts of the country most reliant on fossil fuels for economic growth and stability. If successful, these groups could help change the tide of public opinion in areas of the country apprehensive about a green transition. There has also been increased momentum around general climate change action across the country. In just fi ve short years, climate change has experienced a massive rise in perceived importance and viewership. A growing number of people, groups, and offi cials are starting to take the issue more seriously.

For example, organizations like the Sunrise Movement, a student activism group, have been working to further political movements and demonstrations all across the country. These changes have been positive, but there is still much to be done.

MUCH MORE MOMENTUM IS NEEDED.

JAMES VAN NOSTRAND, DIRECTOR AT CENTER FOR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW

“Much more momentum is needed,” Nostrand said.

An Opportunity Out of Calamity?

Despite these hang-ups, a signifi cant amount of opportunity could rise from this crisis. In order to realize these opportunities, leaders and citizens alike must move forward with climate optimism. This will create the political movement needed to comprehensively address the current crisis, but it is no small undertaking.

To start, it will require a restructuring of economic policy. Politicians must put aside their ideological diff erences and work across the aisle to address this pressing issue. Elected offi cials will need to spend as if they are saving the planet, because, in a sense, they are.

Of course, it will require more than just American action to solve this problem, but America has the potential to become a global leader on this issue. The United States has the capability to construct a world where other countries look to them for guidance, assistance, and support. However, action must be taken to transform these capabilities into concrete realities.

Furthermore, there is also a need for politicians who understand that the green transition must be fair and equitable. Essentially, in order to garner support for the transition, politicians need to focus on jobs. Residents in states like West Virginia, Wyoming, and Kentucky rely heavily on fossil fuels for economic stability, so politicians cannot try to implement a transition without ensuring employment security for the people of these states.

In order to construct a broader coalition of support, politicians also need to use the just transition as a way to garner support from communities of color. The green

transition can also focus on ensuring growth for all communities all across the country. This could be an opportunity to signifi cantly expand investment into African American communities which have been often left behind during times of economic change. The same idea applies to Hispanic American communities like those in Southern Texas that are still dependent on fossil fuels. The green transition off ers the opportunity to deliver growth to all people and all communities, but this can only be achieved once politicians change their ideas and visions of the future. Climate change, if properly handled, can serve as an excellent mechanism for delivering robust, sustainable, and equitable growth to the country and the world, but the clock is ticking.

If structured correctly, the green transition could be an opportunity to help build a broad political coalition to deliver consistent and strong growth. Furthermore, the transition also opens the door for the United States to become a global leader in regards to climate change, something that would have long reaching impacts on the geopolitics of the 21st century. A lot of good could come from the climate optimistic approach which refuses to give in to the increasing pressures of climate change.

Things are likely going to get worse over the coming years in terms of extreme climate events, but this does not mean that the global community has offi cially gone over the precipice. However, action must be taken now. To quote the United Nations, it truly is “now or never.”

Climate change is undoubtedly a problem, but if the necessary actions are taken, it could be reversed and large groups of people could benefi t from that transition.