Pr*@%!^#t Donald Trump didn’t show up at the Bonn climate summit. For one thing, he was visiting Asia kowtowing to Chinese leaders and making nice with the murderous president of the Philippines. For another, nobody at the summit rolled out the red carpet for him. Without that, he hates going anywhere. The only official presentation from the U.S. in Bonn was to promote the burning of fossil fuels, a move which generated a lot of flak.
But there were other prominent Americans at the summit who aren’t part of the lying, climate science-denying brigade. Included in this number were several Democratic governors and many other state and local officials. They were in Germany to let the rest of the world know that even though the Trump regime is scientifically illiterate and ideologically malignant on the subject of climate change, many American state and local authorities are in opposition. They sought to make clear that they are doing what they can to meet the non-binding pledges of the Paris Climate Accord, despite Trump’s declaration that the United States will withdraw from that agreement unless it can get one of the man’s ballyhooed “better deals.” (The U.S. can’t formally withdraw from the Paris agreement until November 2020.)
On Saturday California Gov. Jerry Brown and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched “America’s Pledge on climate change.” This initiative is designed to focus on the actions of states, local governments, and businesses to cut greenhouse gas emissions to meet the goals of the Paris Accord.
Joshua S. Hill reports:
“When cities and states combine together and then join with powerful corporations, that’s how we get stuff done,” said Governor Brown at today’s event at the US Climate Action Pavilion, a purpose-built exhibition space sponsored by US non-federal leaders at COP23. “We’re here, we’re in and we’re not going away.”
“Today we’re sending a clear message to the world that America’s states, cities and businesses are moving forward with our country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement — with or without Washington,” added Governor Brown, who was recently named Special Advisor for States and Regions ahead of the United Nations’ 23rd Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23). [...]
“In the US, emission levels are determined far more by cities, states, and businesses than they are by our federal government — and each of these groups is taking action because it’s in their own best interest,” explained Michael Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. “Reducing emissions is good for the economy and good for public health. The American government may have pulled out of the Paris Agreement, but American society remains committed to it — and we will redouble our efforts to achieve its goals. We’re already halfway there.”
It would be far too generous to describe the Trump regime’s climate change efforts as “foot-dragging.” The White House objective is not merely to slow down the passage and implementation of smart climate policies. It’s meant to turn back the clock on regulations and give away the future by bolstering fossil fuel companies and throwing up obstacles to expanding the nation’s use of renewable sources of energy with their significantly lower carbon footprint.
What’s desperately needed instead of this retrograde approach are policies that accelerate the energy transformation that is already underway worldwide. That, of course, will mean dumping the current White House regime along with the current Republican majority in the House and Senate, bodies in which about one-third of the members are hardcore climate science deniers.
As previously explained, one element—but just one—of meeting the Paris goals and ultimately reaching zero carbon emissions is passage of a national renewable portfolio standard.
Thirty-one states have already passed laws or resolutions requiring that utilities generate or buy a certain proportion of their electricity from renewable sources by a certain date. California and New York, for example, each have established an RPS requiring that 50 percent of those states’ electricity be generated from wind, solar, and geothermal sources by 2030. Arizona has set an RPS goal of 15 percent by 2025. Georgia, Arkansas, Nebraska, and 16 other states have no RPS goal or mandate.
If we’re serious about not just meeting the Paris goals—which most experts say are important but don’t go nearly far enough to address the climate crisis—we need a national RPS, with firm milestones and near-term deadlines. This should be a top priority of Democrats once the current crew of jackals are cleared out of the White House and Congress. But we shouldn’t wait to talk about it until that day comes.