Protect the Environment While Growing the Economy

The world needs to produce more electricity to meet energy consumption needs AND reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We know what we need to do: stop putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, take some of the carbon emissions that are already in the atmosphere out, and generate at least 2 times more electricity by 2050. We can do all three — at the same time. Climate change prevention and U.S. energy independence are not mutually exclusive objectives.

As a Conservative, conserving our environment is a huge priority. Climate change is a serious issue that deserves our attention. It acts as a threat multiplier, impacting every aspect of our lives whether we realize it or not. We must understand that it is not the planet that needs us, but rather, it’s we who need Mother Earth.

Together, we can make a difference and safeguard the planet we call home.

Katherine Hayhoe, a renowned climatologist and Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy, taught me that caring about climate change is not limited to a specific kind of person. It is a shared concern for all humans.

Katherine also shared insightful data from the Yale program on climate change communication. Surprisingly, the data from Spring 2021 revealed that 72% of U.S. adults believe that global warming is happening. This statistic defied my expectations.

The key lies in more people recognizing the personal impact of climate change. It is only when individuals feel the effects firsthand that the necessary political will can emerge to address this pressing issue.

Climate change is a matter that affects us all, regardless of our background or beliefs.

Together, we can create the collective will to take meaningful action and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Climate change prevention and U.S. energy independence is not mutually exclusive. However, many of President Biden’s decisions on the climate and energy policy harm American energy while overlooking the rising global demand for energy.

For example, Global natural gas consumption is projected to grow by over 40% between 2018 and 2050, reaching a staggering 200 quadrillion BTU by 2050.

By following Biden’s strategy to limit our own energy production that is cleaner than anywhere else in the world, we become dependent on foreign powers like China and Russia who will eagerly seize the opportunity to export their sources of dirtier fuels.

Our jobs, our economy, and our energy security are all at stake. It’s time for a change, a real change that puts Americans as the priority.

The United States, as the current global leader in oil and natural gas production, has experienced significant economic benefits from this trend. Job creation, improved trade balance, and enhanced competitiveness in select industries are among the positive outcomes.

Democrats propose restricting fossil fuel production in the U.S. as a means of addressing climate change.

This includes eliminating oil and gas production on public lands or banning hydraulic fracturing, a key technology behind the country’s production boom. Initially, these policies may seem reasonable since domestic oil and gas production contributes to the problem. It appears logical to eliminate emissions by stopping production.

However, reducing domestic production will only lead to increased imports, rather than reducing consumption.

This means the United States will lose the economic advantages of its oil and gas production without a proportional decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We must remember that climate change is a global issue, and what truly matters are global GHG emissions.

We should strive to ensure that oil and gas produced in the U.S. have the lowest possible GHG emissions. We should focus on creating domestic net zero carbon production.

Additionally, the U.S. must boost exports of clean technologies to become a global manufacturing hub. This shift in energy technology exports can be achieved through increased investment in research and development, as well as policies that prioritize the sale of these innovations. Only through innovation can we lower the cost of energy while reducing emissions. If we are to export our solutions around the world, particularly to developing nations, they will have access to affordable, clean options to transition their economies off dirtier fuels while improving their populations’ access to energy supplies.

This approach presents the United States with a unique opportunity to lead the world in not only reducing GHG emissions but also leveraging a dynamic energy industry in the process.