Opinion: Thoughts On The Upcoming Election And A Bit Of Good Climate News

Love, Justice And Climate Change

Once again, as most of you know, we find ourselves facing a critical election in the United States.  It’s not clear whether the Democratic Party can hold onto either or both houses of Congress in the mid-term elections in November.  If they don’t, it will be disastrous for the climate and for racial justice, as well as for other key issues.  It may well be disastrous for democracy as well, given the Republican party’s current move toward authoritarianism.   Some states are also voting to choose the person who will run future elections in their state. These contests may have a big impact on the 2024 elections.

Do Something For The Election During These Next Two Weeks
I find these to be scary times. Rather than writing a long blog post, I want to first thank you for anything you have already done to help get good outcomes in the upcoming election.  And, if you are not already engaged, I want to encourage you to get involved in some way in supporting fair elections and candidates who are committed to climate action, racial justice, and democracy.  You may want to send letters or post cards to voters; you may want to donate more money to good candidates or political organizations; you may want to join phone banks or text banks, or go door-to-door. Please choose some way to get involved.  There are so many opportunities to be found online with a quick search.

Vote Forward
I’m writing letters with “Vote Forward” to encourage selected people to vote in Michigan and Pennsylvania.  They provide a form letter on which you write a personal statement explaining why you vote.  What I’m writing this time is, “I vote because I want to do my part to choose leaders who care about everyone.  Lots of us are voting this time.  I hope you will too.”  Their form provides the other information the voter will need about dates and where to vote. I address the envelopes and put stamps on them.  This set is to be mailed October 27.  It only takes about an hour to do 20 letters. I’m planning to write 100 more this week.

I don’t know whether Vote Forward is any better than many other options, but it’s one that appealed to me.  Their website is https://votefwd.org/.

Some Possible Good Climate News
This seems like a good week for some positive climate news. (What week isn’t?)  I was particularly intrigued by an article in The Atlantic by climate writer Robinson Meyer, titled “The Climate Economy is About to Explode.” He explains that a report from the investment bank Credit Suisse suggests that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the big climate bill that Congress passed recently, is likely to have a much bigger impact than expected on U.S. industries and the economy.

Most of the $374 billion for climate that the bill is said to provide is in incentives– for electric vehicles, zero emission electricity, and climate resilience. These are uncapped tax credits, meaning the government will provide them to everyone who meets the terms.  The $374 billion is the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of how much the credits will be used.  The bank claims that that estimate is wrong.  They think so many people will take advantage of the credits that the government will spend closer to $800 billion. That’s a huge injection of money into green energy industries, and will likely make those U.S. industries more competitive internationally and significantly lower the costs of solar and wind energy.

Changing Corporate Investment Strategies
The analysts at the bank believe that the IRA will produce a fundamental change in which big corporations will shift their basic strategies in order to avoid missing out on the economic growth and profits that the energy transition (partly via the IRA) will bring. Getting corporations fully committed to the energy transition may be quite significant. (It may also be a mixed blessing, of course.) Meyer writes that if the U.S. slips into recession next year, the IRA programs and incentives will “keep flowing” and boost the economy. He foresees a huge increase in employment in all aspects of decarbonizing our economy.

We do need businesses to change their practices so they help in decarbonizing our economy instead of continuing to make things worse. Let’s not forget though, it was pressure from the climate movement that got this climate bill passed in the first place.  If that bill now results in better business practices, once again the climate movement can take credit.

I don’t know if Meyer is correct or not, but he concludes, “The fight against climate change is going to change more in the next four years than it has in the past 40. The great story of our lives is just beginning. Welcome aboard.”

Russ Vernon-Jones was principal of Fort River School 1990-2008 and is currently a member of the Steering Committee of Climate Action Now-Western Massachusetts. He blogs regularly on climate justice at www.russvernonjones.org.