Climate change and the economy
Travis Clinger
Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: Opinions
Today, the global environment, particularly the issue of climate change, is a crucial issue that must be addressed. However, many individuals feel that the only way to fix the climate change problem is to enact enormous amounts of regulation on businesses and individuals. These individuals want to have taxes for everything. This is not the way to fix the problem. In the modern world, there are many industries far too important to be destroyed by undue taxes. Instead, we must adopt a reasonable plan to ensure that the environment we experience today will be the same-or better-for our children.
To solve the problem of climate change, we must first dismiss that this is a partisan conflict. In last year's Presidential election, both candidates advocated for climate change reform. Indeed, Republican Sen. John McCain has been a fierce advocate for solving the climate change problem for years. The idea that Republicans are against solving the issue of climate change is nonsense, and must be dismissed. Otherwise, instead of finding a solution, the country ends up engaged in a partisan fight that yields not a single result.
The solution to climate change is to begin a gradual change of the emissions of carbon dioxide and other chemicals which result in climate change. Notice the word gradual. Many individuals would like to see a tax for almost everything that produces carbon dioxide to be implemented as soon as possible. Taxing everything related to carbon dioxide would certainly work in cutting carbon dioxide emissions; however it would also terminate the economy. Instead, we must adopt a gradual program to cut greenhouse gases. An example of this would be creating a cap and trade program to deal with carbon dioxide. In essence, industries would have a cap on how much carbon dioxide they could emit each year. If an industry does not use its entire cap, it would be able to sell the excess to other industries. In essence, this would result in the gradual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, while at the same time permitting capitalism to thrive.
The time has come to develop a solution to the problems of climate change. We need to take action now, but that action cannot destroy our economy. It is important to remember that climate change is but one of the many problems facing the world today. We cannot destroy everything to save the climate, when there is an alternative method that will save the climate and maintain the current standard of living. Let us take reasonable action and solve this problem.
To solve the problem of climate change, we must first dismiss that this is a partisan conflict. In last year's Presidential election, both candidates advocated for climate change reform. Indeed, Republican Sen. John McCain has been a fierce advocate for solving the climate change problem for years. The idea that Republicans are against solving the issue of climate change is nonsense, and must be dismissed. Otherwise, instead of finding a solution, the country ends up engaged in a partisan fight that yields not a single result.
The solution to climate change is to begin a gradual change of the emissions of carbon dioxide and other chemicals which result in climate change. Notice the word gradual. Many individuals would like to see a tax for almost everything that produces carbon dioxide to be implemented as soon as possible. Taxing everything related to carbon dioxide would certainly work in cutting carbon dioxide emissions; however it would also terminate the economy. Instead, we must adopt a gradual program to cut greenhouse gases. An example of this would be creating a cap and trade program to deal with carbon dioxide. In essence, industries would have a cap on how much carbon dioxide they could emit each year. If an industry does not use its entire cap, it would be able to sell the excess to other industries. In essence, this would result in the gradual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, while at the same time permitting capitalism to thrive.
The time has come to develop a solution to the problems of climate change. We need to take action now, but that action cannot destroy our economy. It is important to remember that climate change is but one of the many problems facing the world today. We cannot destroy everything to save the climate, when there is an alternative method that will save the climate and maintain the current standard of living. Let us take reasonable action and solve this problem.
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