Op-Ed: It's Time for American Leaders to Wake Up to the Threat of Climate Change for the Good of the Planet and Business
Gov. Kasich authored a TIME op-ed about the dangers of climate change and how addressing them is not only critical but also has room for ideas that both political parties can agree on.
See an excerpt below and read the full op-ed here.
"Though often regarded as a hot potato in politics, one of the biggest points of opposition to addressing climate change is the cost. How can a world whose transportation and energy systems are so heavily rooted in burning hydrocarbons afford to scrap them and shift to other, cleaner forms of energy?
I approach it from the other direction, however: how can we afford not to?
Yes, the looming cost to human life and the natural world are paramount and merit immediate and sustained commitment to long-term action. For those who also worry about the economics of tackling climate change, consider this: Goldman Sachs recently estimated that there is $16 trillion to be made in just the next 10 years from new investments in renewable energy. Furthermore, if the United States committed to help keep global warming within 2 degrees Celsius, this would create between $1 trillion and $2 trillion in yearly investments in renewable energy.
At a time when the global pandemic has dealt a mighty blow to the world’s economy, those kinds of numbers should be music to our ears. Why would we not embrace the enormous economic benefits and job creation of investing in next generation transportation and renewable energy systems?"