It's smart business
American auto manufacturers fought against
fuel-efficiency and emissions standards back in the 1970s and 1980s.
While Europe and Asia focused on efficiency, we focused on short-term
profits. This "win" for the industry resulted in American autos becoming
less competitive in an evolving international market.
Now America
has the opportunity to lead the transition away from a carbon-based
economy, but we're, again, abdicating that role to countries like
Germany and Japan. These countries are pursuing alternatives to carbon
because "externalities" like poor air and water quality, increased
healthcare costs, unstable energy supplies and pricing, international
resource wars, and man-made climate change are simply too costly -- and
the alternatives are better and cheaper. The externalities of carbon are
crippling the U.S. economy, and making our planet less hospitable for
humans.
Yes, the transition from fossil fuels must happen for the
sake of future generations, but it's also smart business now. To remain
economically competitive on a global scale America needs to discourage
the carbon economy and encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy.
As
businessman Jigar Shah has said, climate change is "the largest wealth
creation opportunity on the planet." So why are we resisting this
inevitability instead of leading the charge?
Seth Tilley
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