The political divide between progressives and conservatives is this: the left cares about the end of the world; the right cares about the end of the month.
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Take climate change. Polls show that about two thirds of Americans recognize that A. Climate change is happening, B. We are the primary cause and C. The consequences are serious. But, for many Americans, climate change, though a legitimate concern, is not a top priority compared to having a grandson with disabilities or a spouse with cancer or working 60-hour weeks. If we are to make real progress on climate change, we on the left, center and right have to find a way forward that satisfies both the end of the month and the end of the world.
Fortunately, the end-of-the-month concerns and the end-of-the-world concerns have a great deal in common. The end-of-the-world concerns can be postponed indefinitely by our phasing out atmospheric-carbon-emitting energy. Our end-of-the-month concerns can be reduced by phasing in clean low-cost energy from wind, solar, storage and geothermal, thereby lowering energy costs, creating jobs and strengthening household budgets.
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When climate solutions improve people’s daily lives, they stop being partisan ideas and become common-sense solutions.
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Charles Ashurst,
Logan