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Climate, economic impact

For Your Consideration

Alan Cheah

(Updated: Thursday, January 07, 2010, 4:13 PM)

This is the season when we make our new year's resolutions. Every year we strive to improve something about ourselves. We wonder what's in store for us in the immediate future. But, how many of us think about what's in store for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren 50 years from now? What kind of world will we have left them? Will it be a legacy to be proud of? I'm thinking about global warming.

Governments, scientists worldwide and environmentalists have been alerting the public about anthropogenic, human-caused, global warming.

Fossil fuel corporations and their lobbyists promote denial and skepticism of global warming through think tanks, scientists, media and politicians they fund. It's human nature to resist change, especially as we get older, so many gravitate towards denial and skepticism. Uncertainty and doubt have been hammered into our psyche. Global warming deniers claim it is a hoax.

Most scientists say if we do nothing or little, the earth will spiral into chaos and destruction. Global warming skeptics say we are just in a natural cycle or that it is not human caused. Records show the warmest ever temps over the last 10 years.

What is the average person to believe? How do we discern fact from fiction, reality from obfuscation and demagoguery from authenticity? Can we make a rational decision that is not dependent on who pulled harder in this tug of war? Is there another way of thinking about this?

Perhaps the answer lies in these two questions. 1) What are the consequences if global warming believers are wrong and we did everything necessary to reduce greenhouse gases? 2) What are the consequences if global warming deniers / skeptics are wrong and we did little or nothing to curb greenhouse gases?

In the first case, many argue that doing everything necessary to reduce greenhouse gases is too costly and it will destroy our economy. In the second case, scientists argue that the world as we know it ends bringing with it the end to any economy and more importantly the end to life -- your grandchildren and humanity. Given these two outcomes, which path would you chose? The choice seems obvious.

The choice becomes more obvious when we realize the proposition that taking climate change action is too costly and hurts the economy is unfounded. To understand this let's take a closer look at fossil fuels -- oil, coal and gas. It is a limited resource.

It is increasingly more expensive to extract. Extracting it creates toxic waste, pollutes our air, land, rivers, drinking water and oceans, and ravages our mountains, forests and plains. The consequences are cancer, asthma, fetal and child development problems and a host of other diseases. Soldiers die to protect our foreign oil and gas interests.

All this exacts a hidden cost not paid at the pump, in our energy bills or by the fuel and energy producers. We pay dearly in other ways. Our taxes pay for toxic cleanup and military operations protecting our energy interests. As we get sicker, we pay more for health insurance, medical services and prescription drugs. These hidden costs have amounted to trillions over time.

With this understanding it's more apparent that investing in renewable energy generation, smart electric grids, electric and hybrid cars, conservation and energy efficiency is something we need to do even if global warming is not an issue. These new technologies will in fact revive our economy, reduce our taxes, reduce our energy costs and improve our health and quality of life simply because it eliminates all the issues discussed. It will create more jobs and reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

Learn more about the climate and economic impact on Oakhurst and Yosemite, Google CalAdapt and click on the Background tab or go to: climatechange.ca.gov/publications/faqs.html#ie. A non-partisan must see presentation of this proposition can be seen at youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ.

Comments may be sent to alaninoak@gmail.com.