"To prevent the Paris Climate Accord from taking on such undue power, Mr. Trump should submit it to the Senate, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should schedule a quick vote. It would certainly be rejected—ratification requires a two-thirds vote—and it is unlikely any court could subsequently resurrect a legislatively tossed treaty."
"If idealistic politicians succeed in removing U.S. LNG from the global market, it will lead to the double whammy of increased coal and dirtier natural gas from emissions-agnostic countries like Russia. Like nuclear, the LNG export sector is highly vulnerable to political disruptions. A rejected export terminal, much like a failed reactor, can erode investor confidence enough to reverse the industry’s momentum. A German state-owned gas importer, SEFE, has already turned to Russia in response to the pause, and other committed buyers like Malaysia are reportedly getting cold feet. These developments are neither good for global security nor the climate."
“Using Arcadia’s proprietary nationwide energy bill data, they estimated that running those lights in December costs Americans a total of $645 million. For each household that has Christmas lights, that’s an average of an extra $12 on their December power bill (up to $20 in California).”
"As scientists bring new products across the Valleys of Death and disrupt incumbent technologies, we stand a chance not only of solving some of the world’s toughest problems, but of coming out the other side with energy abundance."
"'Our approach has been different. The approach has been to innovate rather than regulate, to develop technologies that get us to the same goal rather than harshly prohibit fuels, and to develop technologies to use fuels more cleanly.’”
"Note that this is not a finger-pointing exercise where rich countries tell poorer ones not to pollute. We’re mostly talking about local air pollution. The negative impacts of pollution are felt by domestic populations. It’s about how we ensure that the poorest countries can gain access to energy, alleviate poverty, and develop while limiting the number of people who die prematurely from air pollution in the process."
There are lessons to be learned in the states. The best solutions have proven to come from innovation and risk-taking in the business community, not from heavy-handed federal or state regulation.
"In fact, a 2013 congressionally sponsored National Research Council study, led by the father of climate economics and future Nobel laureate, Yale’s William Nordhaus, concluded that green handouts and tax breaks are 'a poor tool for reducing greenhouse gases and achieving climate change objectives.'"
"The crux of his argument is that, as helpful as innovations like electric cars, solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and plant-based burgers are to the effort, they don’t go far enough. There isn’t enough land on earth to plant enough trees to offset our carbon dependency."
"The shortfall is in part because of the permitting process for mining companies. The average time between discovering a new copper mineral deposit and getting a permit to build a mine is about 20 years, according to Simon."
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