When you read the words “climate change,” what thoughts come to your mind? Honestly, I like to know and occasionally I do hear from some readers. Whether we agree or disagree on finer points, I appreciate readers taking time out of their day to send an email. Recently, one reader was upset by my assertion that climate action is a bipartisan topic, attracting progressives who want to protect natural resources for future generations, and also conservatives who want to protect a prosperous economy right now. By overlooking some of our nation’s most prestigious conservative economists (Art Laffer, Henry Paulson and George Shultz), this reader incorrectly replied (with generous use of all capital letters) that only liberals would support policies that reduce carbon emissions.
Unfortunately I was not able to convince him to meet over coffee and discuss the issues more personally.
Over the past four years, I’ve enjoyed this incredible opportunity to write climate columns for Mississippi newspapers, and the research I put into each one has allowed me to learn so much along the way. One of my favorite angles to explore is the many conservative leaders who have courageously confronted the climate topic, despite intense pressure to avoid it and maintain status quo energy policies.
One interesting person that I have not previously mentioned is Sherry Boehlert, an Army veteran and Republican congressman who retired in 2006, and last month passed away at the age of 84. Representing a conservative, rural district of upstate New York that included Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Rep. Boehlert served as Chair of the prestigious House Science Committee. In addition to being a big baseball fan, Mr. Boehlert was known for forming friendships and strategic alliances across party lines.
Forming these bipartisan relationships led to Rep. Boehlert being named one of the 50 most effective lawmakers on Capitol Hill by Congressional Quarterly. When I read of his passing, I was captivated by this quote from 2006: “We should be guided by sound science. We shouldn’t have politics determining science.” As early as the 1990’s, Rep. Boehlert was bringing scientific experts to testify in Congress about the alarming long-term consequences of relying on fossil fuels.
While he made a name for himself by confronting the science deniers within his own party, Mr. Boehlert always maintained a firm grip on the fiscal conservatism that kept him devoted to the GOP. In our increasingly polarized world, I’m sure he would have been glad to find overlap between fiscal conservatism and environmental protection, such as the latest report from the European Central Bank (ECB). Published last month, they found that transitioning to a low-carbon economy now would be far cheaper than simply accepting the costs of out-of-control climate change.
After another season of deadly summer floods and wildfires, the ECB calculated the future impacts of climate-fueled disasters on 4 million European companies and 1,600 banks over the next 30 years. Their findings included a 10% hit to European GDP and a 30% increase in defaults on corporate loans, should no action be taken to reduce emissions.
While there are short-term costs associated with a transition to a renewable-energy based economy, those costs would be outweighed by the benefits. Another study by researchers from Harvard determined transition investments of nearly $350 billion by 2030; costly indeed, but producing a net benefit of over $1.4 trillion. For fiscally conservative legislators and voters alike, the case for climate action makes a whole lot of sense!
I may have failed in my attempt to meet one reader for coffee, missing the chance to discuss our differences as well as discover some commonalities. But we will not be able to make progress as a country if we remain stuck in our partisan camps, writing angry emails and social media posts rather than learning from each other. I want to follow the example set by Sherry Boehlert, and continue to reach out to those who disagree with me. Hopefully the next emailer will take it easy on that caps lock though!
Chris Werle of Lamar County is Mississippi state coordinator for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Write him at chriswerle@cclvolunteer.org.
