Brainstorm: Living With Global Warming

“I promised my panelists that we wouldn’t debate global warming,” said Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky. “Instead, we’ll focus on what we can do.” Unfortunately, though the panel explored a variety of strategies, they stayed focused heavily on mitigating carbon emissions alone, and solely in the U.S.

Former EPA head Carol Brinker said, “I think it’s time for there to be a national law…for people to pay for their carbon emissions.” And she’s optimistic that a law could actually be passed. John Hickenlooper, Mayor of Denver, talked about municipal efforts to try being more green. “The key is to be able to build broader collaborations,” he said. Metro area Denver includes 2.7 million people in 8 counties, with 32 mayors; these all banded together to support a light rail initiative, one of the most comprehensive in the country. “Those kinds of collaborations around climate change and mobility,” said Hickenlooper, “that’s the only way we’re going to create pressure in Washington to get things done.”

Fred Krupp, director of the Environmental Defense Initiative, offered persuasive arguments that market-based solutions - especially a robust carbon emissions marketplace - is a major key. “A hard cap on carbon emissions…means a guarantee that carbon emissions will go down,” he said. “[And] the more inclusive the market, the more entrepreneurs will hunt for low-cost solutions.” Brinker warned about the unintended consequences of such a solution – or of any solution – but said that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do them.

But it will only happen if people belief we’re at risk. “If there’s even a 1% probability that climate change is happening,” said David Hawkins, director of the NRDC, “then any prudent safeguarding would be for us to do something now.” He maintained that people need to start thinking about the unthinkable. “Take your kids down to New Orleans,” he advised. “It’s been almost a year now, and the devastation is still incredible.” People thought that was unthinkable, he said - but it happened.

“We are about to leave to a subsequent generation a problem they can’t reverse,” said Brinker. “It’s one thing to get pollution out of the Cayuhoga River; it’s another thing to stop the seas from rising.”

gB

Comments

[Nathan - Four Easy Ways to Prevent Global Warming]

I wonder why Carol Brinker seems to think that we could pass a law to require people to pay for their carbon emissions.

I agree that market based approaches like this are important, but I'm not sure the political will exists yet.