Originally published January 8 2006
Economists challenge federal government to combat global warming before it's too late
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Addressing themselves to President Bush and both houses of Congress, 25 American economists at the Climate Action Network (CAN) press briefing emphasized the increasing costs of dealing with the effects of global warming and called upon the federal government to actively pursue policies that would curb greenhouse gas emissions.
At the daily Climate Action Network (CAN) press briefing at the Montreal climate change negotiations, 25 respected American economists, including three Nobel laureates, called upon the United States to move aggressively to combat global warming.
These economists, all with expertise on applying economics to environmental policy, assert that unless we act now, the price of dealing with global warming and its disruptive effects is only going to increase.
The statement was delivered to President Bush and key Cabinet members, as well as to every US Senator and Member of Congress.
"It is important that greenhouse gas emissions be managed using an incentive based policy, such as a market-based approach to capping and reducing such emissions," the economists stated.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said the economists' call for action underscored that the cost of inaction on global warming will hurt the American economy and U.S. based businesses.
"In addition to the rising cost of delay, lack of U.S. leadership is an opportunity cost to U.S. businesses and consumers," said Kevin Knobloch, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
"An aggressive rollout of energy efficient cars and trucks, appliances, heating and cooling systems and renewable energy technologies will save businesses and consumers significant amounts of money, as well as create high-quality jobs and increase community investment."
According to the economists, as the rest of the world sets up carbon trading markets, the demand for renewable energy and associated technologies will increase.
"The U.S. should be the global leader in manufacturing and exporting clean energy technologies," said Geoff Heal, Professor of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Columbia Business School and lead organizer of the letter.
"If we want to develop and export the energy technologies of the future, then we need federal policies that create incentives for developing and rapidly deploying that technology.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml