How free enterprise can solve climate change
Tuesday, April 25
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
MIT, Building E14-633, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Bob Inglis
Former Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) traveled to Antarctica and Greenland as a member of the House Science Committee during his second, three-year term in Congress (2005-10) and became convinced climate change was a problem and needed action. In July 2012, he founded and launched republicEn.org, which is centered on conservative principles and a free-enterprise solution to climate change. Inglis will talk about how free enterprise and a "tax swap" can deliver the innovation to solve our climate change issues and lead the rest of the world.
ESI People & the Planet Lecture Series
Web site: https://environmentalsolutions.mit.edu/events/
Open to: the general public
Cost: free
Sponsor(s): Environmental Solutions Initiative
For more information, contact: Hannah Loomis
esi@mit.edu
I came across this in my archives and thought I’d bring it out.
Bob Inglis is probably the most outspoken climate realist on the Right. He and his organization, RepublicEn, are “energy optimists, climate realists.” I tried to start a conversation with him about Solar IS Civil Defense when last he passed through MIT but haven’t heard anything back.
Long ago, back in the 1980s when Reagan had killed the solar boom(let) and gasoline was cheap, some of the national environmental groups talked about “No Regrets” strategies, things people could do that would pay off whatever you thought about energy or the environment. Nobody ever pushed it that hard, in my estimation, although the ideas of energy efficiency and energy conservation (not necessarily the same thing) have paid off over and over again but still haven’t changed enough minds to shift the deadlocked politics on energy and climate change in the USA.
My rough notes from the talk:
4/25/17
MIT
Bob Inglis
Son made him confront climate change after knee jerk reaction to Gore in 1990s
Went to Antarctica and trip made it real and apparent to him
Snorkeling on Great Barrier Reef he realized the [scientist] showing him what he was doing was worshipping God
Raise wages and cut carbon act proposed in 2009 - revenue neutral carbon tax, border adjustable meaning it applies to imports as well which he thinks will win at WTO
He lost his next election to Trey Gowdy
RepublicEn has 6 people and $1.2 million annual budget
Conservatives are the "indispensable party in the indispensable nation" and need to be won over. He uses the language of free enterprise and capitalism to explain climate change.
The environmental left and eco right
Energy optimists and climate realists
Conservatives trust their messengers like ExxonMobil and they have, like Inglis, an “optimistic realism” on climate.
Gore is also in favor of Inglis' revenue neutral, border adjustable tax proposal
Conservatives have a tribal connection to their views. They want to hear free market abundance and capitalistic solutions.
Senator Rob Portman is the best shot at climate change in Republican conference
Senator Whitehouse proposed corporate tax reduction as recycling for carbon tax
Works on climate because he loves the people of the future
When you ask people what should be our nation's priorities the importance of environment is rising on the list
Clean Power Plan is the worst way to go about climate change "but they had to do what they had to do"
Campaign cash is the wave but voter discontent or interest is the tide
He'd like to say to the Kochs "stop socializing your soot" and get Paul Gigot of Wall St Journal editorial page to understand climate change
A cause to the Left is a calling on the Right