Energy and Environmental Policy: More Crucial Than You Realize
TL/DR –
The “greening” of corporate practices, politics, and culture is becoming more prominent, with companies like Amazon, Etsy, and Uber highlighting their carbon-friendly practices and climate activists even targeting art. Policies in the US and globally are also increasingly considering environmental impact, with the US raising the estimated social cost of carbon and implementing other climate-centric policies under the Biden administration. However, the author notes these policies often prioritize environmental needs over human needs, leading to potential issues such as unreliable energy sources, and concludes that recent changes suggest US environmental policy is moving towards a more balanced approach.
Environmental Policies’ Impact on Society and Economy
“Going green” is now ubiquitous, with companies like Amazon and Etsy offering carbon-friendly options and carbon offsetting respectively. Even Uber gives estimates of CO2 savings. The eco-friendly trend extends to the arts, politics, and energy policies.
Activists now target priceless art like Mona Lisa, questioning the importance of art vs sustainable food system. Such climate justice protests are on the rise, with individuals attempting to desecrate civilization’s great achievements.
Energy and environmental issues have infiltrated all policy areas. In 2023, a fourfold increase in the estimated social cost of carbon was made by EPA due to a misconception about crop yield projections. This faulty understanding has significant implications for proposed policies, as the IER analysis suggests.
Under the banner of “climate justice” and “environmental protection,” the Biden administration made several controversial decisions. The US rejoined the Paris Agreement, revoked the Keystone Pipeline’s permit, and invested billions into advancing clean energy. Disproportionate focus was given to fighting global climate change, overlooking Americans’ immediate needs during crises like Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Environmental quotas affect every policy and societal consideration beyond the Federal level. 24 states have net-zero or 100% clean-energy goals. Globally, the EU aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, and 107 countries have adopted similar pledges or mandates.
Such mandates will inevitably increase prices and affect every aspect of life, like causing frequent blackouts. Pursuing an energy policy prioritizing environmental needs over human needs could lead to a civilizational decline as energy scarcity can lead to loss of life.
However, recent executive orders, cuts, and deregulation indicate a possible shift in the right direction for energy and environmental policies. The era of interpreting all policies through the lens of climate policy seems to be ending, at least in the US, restoring energy freedom to the land of the free.
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