Talking About the Costs of Climate Change & Clean Energy Legislation

As media coverage of the Senate's efforts to pass climate change and clean energy legislation revs up this fall, it's inevitable that we'll hear pundits talk about how taking action is too expensive.  As our readers know, such claims are hogwash that ignores both the eye-opening costs of inaction and the excitingly game-changing opportunities of climate change and energy-related solutions.

Grist's David Roberts gets into the topic

Imposing a cost on carbon and investing in clean energy would cost plenty of dough. But failing to take action, allowing fossil fuel prices to continue rising, allowing climate change to proceed unrestrained, would also cost. (Joe Romm makes the point well, noting that the Republicans’ Inaction Plan on energy itself represents “the most costly option.” We should call it the Inaction Tax.)

Point is, beware of scary cost numbers, and always keep in mind that the choice is not costs or no costs but which costs.

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