Invenergy Wind Farm; Casey Page of Billings Gazette By Ellie Jackson HELENA, Montana -- Now more than ever, our country’s partisanship is preventing us from being able to find common ground, particularly in creating policy regarding the use of efficient energy. “Being skeptical about global warming has become part of Republican or conservative identity.” (New York Times) Roger Koopman, a Republican representative of the Public Service Commission, says that “no source of energy should be ignored;” however, he is an obvious supporter of fossil fuels in supplying long-term energy. A combination of renewable energy sources didn’t even seem worthy of consideration. It was plain to see that he had embraced his “conservative identity.” Koopman’s priorities involve keeping Montana jobs and providing reliable and sustainable energy across the grid. He argues that renewable energy is not economical, but if part of the Commission’s goal is sustainability, then they will have to inch toward an area of common ground to achieve it. But this is coming from someone who questions whether an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is “good or bad.” So if he doubts the facts, and saving the environment is not on his priority list, how will we ever transition to renewable energy if people like Koopman are deciding our policies? The other side firmly believes in anthropogenic climate change and largely supports policies that regulate power plant emissions. However, only about twenty percent of Republicans support renewables generating a portion of their electricity. (New York Times) Their egos and their party loyalty are keeping them from acknowledging the facts and creating necessary policies that will facilitate positive change. Sources:
Popovich, Nadja, and Livia Albeck-ripka. “How Republicans Think About Climate Change.” The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/14/climate/republicans-global-warming-maps.html. “Home.” What We Do, http://psc.mt.gov.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
ArchivesCategories |