.@MLiebreich describes how conservatives might tackle climate change. I'm not a conservative but this is something I can engage with. So read this thread!
And if you want, come back for some "progressive" observations on who our real enemies are.
And if you want, come back for some "progressive" observations on who our real enemies are.
I personally think nation states are idealized by conservatives which leads to misplaced self aggrandizing (UK and US exceptionalism is rampant), wars, follies like Brexit, and the inability to democratize institutions larger than nation states.
This whole idea of national sovereignty as a sacred idea is a crock imho. Individual sovereignty is defensible. All layers above should simply be judged by their added value in terms of letting the lower levels thrive and be happy. Nations are a means to that end. Nothing more.
I think that in an ideal world, solutions would be solved at the lowest possible level. Usually that's the family and often the neighborhood or municipality. But sometimes you have to solve things at a national or even global scale.
That being said, investing institutions with power is often a hard to reverse process and holding them accountable is even harder. Both progressives and conservatives should be wary of trusting institutions without clear and demostrably working democratic checks and balances.
So although I am more aligned politically with @laurimyllyvirta and @MazzucatoM than @MLiebreich I feel that this is largely beside the point when deciding how we fight climate change.
The important quick wins are about things conservatives and progressives can all agree on:
The important quick wins are about things conservatives and progressives can all agree on:
- Transparent science & fact based policy making
- Polluter pays (companies & nations too)
- No more fossil subsidies
- Support enterprise, not incumbents
- Nations should invest heavily in renewable R&D
- All regulatory impediments to markets implementing cleantech should go
- Polluter pays (companies & nations too)
- No more fossil subsidies
- Support enterprise, not incumbents
- Nations should invest heavily in renewable R&D
- All regulatory impediments to markets implementing cleantech should go
To reiterate: our main problem is not conservative vs progressive:
- Climate change is a losing proposition for both.
- Cleantech is a winning proposition for both.
Conservatives like @MLiebreich
clearly understand this.
- Climate change is a losing proposition for both.
- Cleantech is a winning proposition for both.
Conservatives like @MLiebreich
clearly understand this.
Our main problems are corruption, science denial and destructive vested interests. We must fight companies and oligarchs owning fossil fuel installations that use lobbyists and media to distract and bamboozle policy makers and the general public until it's too late.
I like to use the analogy of the Titannic. Progressives and conservatives disagree on who should get into the lifeboats first, and that is indeed important. But our biggest problem is the guys telling everybody there is no emergency and no need for lifeboats.
