Updated: Hope for a Way forward so Everyone & Everything Benefits – John Oliver Agrees

Climate talks inspired this post.  Remember, the earth will be fine (see Did we give up? Hospice for Earth? We Need Better!), humans ability to live here however may be compromised if we do not find better ways.  While many are disappointed about the US pulling out of the Paris Agreement, there is hope.   Despite no carbon legislation in the last decade, we have dramatically reduced emissions (see Great Read: Climate of Hope by Bloomberg & Pope)

What may help increase efforts was a plan conservatives are offering a possible solution based on Carbon Dividends, “The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends“.  They claim this plan should reduce carbon emissions and help us be able to live better.  This plan is authored by noted conservatives James A Baker, III, Henry Paulson, Martin Feldstein, George Schultz, Ted Halstead, Thomas Stephenson, N. Gregory Mankiw, and Rob Walton.  Authors also provided this column  in the NYT’s about the plan and TED Talk  below.

I am learning.  I am surprised Republicans offered a taxing solution. Despite flaws, at least this proposal brings republicans into the conversation about doing something about climate change. There does not seem to be a consensus about this plan so I hope you can share what you know.

There are many questions about this plan. Dave Levitan of Scientific American offered Conservative case for carbon dividends: Republicans offer to tax carbon emissions, others offered these: American Enterprise Institute offered The Deeply Flawed Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax, EconoMonitors Ed Dolan offered The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends: A Bad Marriage of Two Good Ideas? and the Atlantic’s article, The Republican Carbon Tax Is Republican, Say Republicans suggests republicans may be an obstacle here.

In a FastCompany article, they suggest Pulling Out Of The Paris Agreement, Trump Just Threw Away America’s Biggest Business Opportunity and how it is the opposite of winning.  Another FastCompany article suggests, Solar And Wind Energy Aren’t “Alternative” Any More.  And citing what people are doing, another FastCompany article, that relates to my post Great Read: Climate of Hope by Bloomberg & Pope, explains how Defiant U.S. Mayors Vow To Uphold Paris Climate Accord. Other thoughts about the decision to exit the Paris agreement include: Bill McKibben  and NYT’s columnists David Brooks and Paul Krugman on June 2, 2017.  NYT Editorial Board offers Our Disgraceful Exit From the Paris Accord.

Here is another great FastCompany article, Green Jobs Are Still The Future Of Work After Trump’s Paris Accord Pullout, about how green jobs are more dominant than fossil fuel jobs and how cities will help us meet Paris protocols.  Bloomberg even pledged money to meet our obligations on the Paris protocol.

This linked note from the mayors of Pittsburgh and Paris also pledged “…the only way to do right by Pittsburghers and Parisians is to abide by the principles of the Paris Agreement…”

In the recent episode: Paris Agreement: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver  related information is shared.

No matter the value of this proposal and the US exit from the Paris Accord, I hope these actions will inspire more to work together and develop a way forward so everyone and everything can benefit.

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