Pain of not addressing climate crisis far greater than cost of Nevada plan
When Gov. Steve Sisolak unveiled Nevada’s first long-ranging plan for addressing global warming, climate deniers predictably went hysterical in response. They’ll take your car away! There will be rolling blackouts! You’ll bake in your living room when the AC goes out! Be afraid! Be very afraid! Nevadans shouldn’t be alarmed. The new strategy offers a reasonable and flexible pathway to battle climate change, putting the state on a path to reduce carbon emissions by 28% from 2005 levels by 2025, then 45% by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Those targets were written into law by state lawmakers in 2019.
To get there, the blueprint calls for changes in a wide range of areas, including transportation, electricity, industry, and residential and commercial land use.
Yes, the plan includes incentives for the use of more electric vehicles, and restrictions on gas-guzzling cars. It also offers steps toward transitioning away from fossil fuel energy sources and the use of highly polluting methane gas for commercial and residential uses. Other elements include changes in building codes and forestry prointerest to act on climate change. at least 50% of their power from renewable grams to reach net-zero energy consumpAnd that’s to say nothing of the human sources by 2030. tion. cost of global warming. Heat-related deaths Environmentalists reacted to the plan
Cue the tizzy by climate deniers, who and illnesses have been prevalent in recent by calling it a good first step, but urged more would like Nevadans to believe that all of years amid record-setting temperatures in action such as fostering greater development these things will result in higher consumer the Las Vegas Valley, one of the most severe of rooftop solar and limiting urban sprawl. expenses — for electric cars, for the enerheat islands in the nation. We trust state leadership is listening, and gy storage solutions needed for renewable Doing nothing on climate change would that the strategy can be honed into an action energy, for construction of homes and busiput us at risk of self-inflicted wounds down plan that will effectively address global nesses with low carbon imprints, etc. the road — something climate deniers don’t warming while being pragmatic for consum
But there are two ways that the deniersers.mention. are misleading Nevadans on the plan. The other way those naysayers mislead In a moment of sublime timing, the blue
One, those deniers don’t focus on the Nevadans is by failing to mention that the print was unveiled around the same time as costs of NOT addressing climate change, strategy is simply a plan, and is subject to the latest United Nations State of the Cliwhich are staggering. According to the change. It’s a collection of carefully considmate report, which offered a truly alarming report, the state faces $786 million in ecoered ideas to bring down greenhouse gas picture of heat waves, extremely powerful nomic damages by 2030 and up to $4 billion emissions and reduce the state’s carbon weather events, sea-level rise and more. by 2050 if it fails to hit the carbon-emission footprint: How quickly and aggressively “Dear friends, humanity is waging war on targets. Those costs would come in the form those measures are adopted can be modernature. This is suicidal,” said U.N. Secretary of damage from extreme weather events — ated. For that matter, there’s discretion on General António Guterres in delivering the heat waves, flash floods, wildfires and the whether to adopt every part of the plan. report. “Nature always strikes back, and it crippling drought that is threatening SouthIn short, it can be modified if it proves is already doing so with growing force and ern Nevada’s water supply. to have unintended consequences, such as fury.”
As reported by the Sun’s John Sadler, a overburdening consumers, disproportionFor Nevada, the climate strategy offers study by the University of Maryland’s Cenately affecting low-income Nevadans, etc. a way to reduce our damage to the environter for Integrative Environmental Research It’s commendable that Sisolak and state ment and do our part to reduce suffering showed that the threat to our water was parofficials came forth with the strategy. Nevaboth here and around the world. ticularly acute, and eventually could affect dans certainly recognize the need to address What’s outlined in the plan won’t cause the tourism industry that drives our state’s climate change, as they showed by voting the sky to fall. To the contrary, the real economy. heavily in favor of this year’s Ballot Quesproblem would happen through not taking
In other words, it’s in our own economic tion 6 to require energy utilities to provide action.