That is, the deniers of climate change have to be shown how business is beneficial with alternative fuels. And I like Greg Gerritt's suggestions below regarding a climate justice economy. Good luck, I hope you get some good ideas.
A Climate Justice Economy is the only way forward Greg Gerritt January 2024
References for each section are listed at the end of the essay.
Introduction
We face a series of interrelated crises that directly relate to how people make a living in Rhode Island and on planet Earth The climate crisis, caused by the burning of fossil fuels and destruction of ecosystems that store carbon in trees, plants, and soils, is intersecting with the agricultural crisis, the poverty crisis, the undermining of democracy, racism, and the depletion of resources of all kinds. Every serious effort to look at the planetary crisis says we are far beyond what is sustainable on planet Earth even if we think some technological marvel like Carbon Capture is going to bail us out, and it already costs the people of the planet hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
Unfortunately the work to repair the damage is added to the GDP instead of being deducted from it, and resource depletion is counted as income, with no acknowledgement of how depletion detracts from future economic activity. So we continue to marvel at a growing economy that has way too big a hole in it due to the damage we are doing to the planet and the cost of repairs. There has to be another way.
1. I would suggest that focusing on creating a Climate Justice Economy is the only realistic way forward for our communities. I went searching for the term on the internet, but it seems that it has not reached a wide circulation, at least how I mean it. I mean it in the sense that if we are to see prosperous communities in the future, then we must make the primary focus of our economic development efforts climate justice oriented projects, both in terms of policies and resources allocated. Providence has a pretty well defined picture of climate justice as explained in their Climate Justice Plan. Right now climate and justice are add-ons to economic development as practiced by cities, states, and the nation, with most of the effort, resources, and money going to industries that perpetuate inequality, get us no closer to zero emissions, or raise the cost of healthcare and housing. Our economic development planning and activities should be focusing on how to stop the climate catastrophe, end poverty and heal ecosystems and social systems in neighborhoods we currently marginalize. In other words we need to put our advocacy muscle into creating an economy based on climate justice principles and implement systems that place climate justice at the center as we allocate economic development resources.
The Republicans, backed up by the fossil fuel industries, will never change their minds about climate change. All they want to do is Drill, baby, Drill. So government could produce big tax incentives that would penalize drilling in favor of developing alternative sources of energy--wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, new nuclear (small reactors vs. big reactors: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/01/climate/nuclear-small-modular-reactors-us-russia-china-climate-solution-intl/index.html#:~:text=SMRs%20%E2%80%94%20which%20are%20smaller%20and,to%20build%20and%20sell%20them.)
That is, the deniers of climate change have to be shown how business is beneficial with alternative fuels. And I like Greg Gerritt's suggestions below regarding a climate justice economy. Good luck, I hope you get some good ideas.
Well said David. Fortunately we still have the freedom to vote!
I've been waiting for this column, David. Keep focussing on November.
Great piece, David. Keep up the good work, especially through the November elections. Chuck
A Climate Justice Economy is the only way forward
https://prosperityforri.com/about-us/f/a-climate-justice-economythe-only-way-forward-2024
A Climate Justice Economy is the only way forward Greg Gerritt January 2024
References for each section are listed at the end of the essay.
Introduction
We face a series of interrelated crises that directly relate to how people make a living in Rhode Island and on planet Earth The climate crisis, caused by the burning of fossil fuels and destruction of ecosystems that store carbon in trees, plants, and soils, is intersecting with the agricultural crisis, the poverty crisis, the undermining of democracy, racism, and the depletion of resources of all kinds. Every serious effort to look at the planetary crisis says we are far beyond what is sustainable on planet Earth even if we think some technological marvel like Carbon Capture is going to bail us out, and it already costs the people of the planet hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
Unfortunately the work to repair the damage is added to the GDP instead of being deducted from it, and resource depletion is counted as income, with no acknowledgement of how depletion detracts from future economic activity. So we continue to marvel at a growing economy that has way too big a hole in it due to the damage we are doing to the planet and the cost of repairs. There has to be another way.
1. I would suggest that focusing on creating a Climate Justice Economy is the only realistic way forward for our communities. I went searching for the term on the internet, but it seems that it has not reached a wide circulation, at least how I mean it. I mean it in the sense that if we are to see prosperous communities in the future, then we must make the primary focus of our economic development efforts climate justice oriented projects, both in terms of policies and resources allocated. Providence has a pretty well defined picture of climate justice as explained in their Climate Justice Plan. Right now climate and justice are add-ons to economic development as practiced by cities, states, and the nation, with most of the effort, resources, and money going to industries that perpetuate inequality, get us no closer to zero emissions, or raise the cost of healthcare and housing. Our economic development planning and activities should be focusing on how to stop the climate catastrophe, end poverty and heal ecosystems and social systems in neighborhoods we currently marginalize. In other words we need to put our advocacy muscle into creating an economy based on climate justice principles and implement systems that place climate justice at the center as we allocate economic development resources.
Read the rest of the essay and see the references at https://prosperityforri.com/about-us/f/a-climate-justice-economythe-only-way-forward-2024