Climate: About That "No More Candy" Message....

#234: Think Before You Blurt
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#1: We've got to cut way back on carbon emissions.
#2: But, a tax on carbon is like telling kids 'no more candy'.
#3: A solution: sensible parenting.

I lay out the 'sensible parenting' approach in response to Eliza Barclay and Umair Irfan's article "Ten Ways To Accelerate Progress Against Climate Change" in Vox.  First, I quote their opening paragraph for each point.  My comments then follow, in green.

1) Price carbon emissions
By adding a cost to emitting greenhouse gases, you create an incentive to produce less of them and switch to alternatives.
"No more candy; eat your broccoli" is a hard sell, especially if kids could vote.  And most Americans in Red states like Kentucky and Alabama, for example, have barely heard of climate change.  Maybe they could be convinced.  But to convince, we'd need them to vote for the senate candidate they're least likely to identify with (RE: coal, abortion, immigration); why make that decision any less likely?  Instead, sensible parenting advice: put the broccoli, finely chopped, in with the mac-and-cheese.  That is, give up on the 'no more candy'.  
Instead, beginning with our close allies, and using carrots and sticks when necessary, assemble a coalition that promises an accelerating timetable for fighting climate change with worldwide, substitute military spending.
This not only delivers adequate funding, without increased taxation, but it strengthens our friendships and global institutions, while raising our 'good player' image in the world.  And red state voters will like the squeeze put on the bloated edifice that is government procurement.  And then there's what veterans of our Iraqi and Afghan wars think: 2-to-1 they feel the fighting wasn't worth it.

2) Subsidize clean energy / end subsidies for dirty energy 
Renewable energy sources like wind and solar power have already become dramatically more affordable. In the United States, renewables are cost-competitive with fossil fuels in some markets.
Unlike a carbon tax, this should be possible in our current political context.  Sensible parenting advice: "Hey, kids, why are we buying licorice for a snack, when you like carrot cake better?" 

3) Close coal plants / cut off the fossil fuel supply 
The world is still opening tens of thousands of megawatts of coal-fired power capacity every year.
This is where much of the world's military spending cutback would go; payments to encourage all countries, including our own, to stop using coal by a certain end date; by, instead, funding renewable generating capacity.  Or, in sensible parenting -speak: "If you want to go to college, we'll pay for an SAT prep course."

4) Electrify everything / get more efficient
Energy efficiency is the lowest of the low-hanging fruit in fighting climate change.
Again, this is doable, given our current political context.  For one thing, it means good-paying jobs.  Parent: "Any money we save on the utility bill goes right into your allowance."

5) Invest in innovation
Perhaps the best tools to fight climate change haven’t been invented yet — a battery that can store gobs of energy for months, a solar panel that’s twice as efficient....
Same as #3 and #4, above.  Parent: "I'll gladly pay for any art supplies you need; just cut back on the TV."

6) End production / sales of [vehicles] that run on fossil fuels
Within a few decades, we are likely to see a worldwide transition away from vehicles that run on gas toward those that use electricity.
Setting a deadline to end gas-powered vehicle production, even if years off, will have an immediate impact, since nobody wants to own yesteryear's model that will soon lose all its resale value.  Parent: "You're old enough to give up your tricycle; so be looking at new bikes for one you like."

7) Require “zero deforestation” supply chains
Tropical forests in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Central Africa are essential for keeping carbon in the ground and maintaining the climate.
Here we'd apply 'the stick' if rogue nations continue to remove forests unsustainably.  Parent: "If you don't stop stepping in my flower beds, you're grounded when the other kids want to play."

8) Keep aging nuclear plants running
Nuclear power currently is responsible for about 20 percent of US electricity — and 50 percent of its carbon-free electricity.
Extending the life of a dozen or so older nuclear plants is unlikely to meet with much opposition.  Parent: "You'll just have to ride your bicycle to your friend's house, until we can afford buying you a used car."

9) Discourage meat / dairy, encourage plant-based diets 
Producing animal products, particularly beef and dairy, creates the majority of food-related greenhouse emissions....
This is the equivalent of parents asking kids to give up their devices for the entire summer.    Along with the carbon tax (#1), and overly ambitious calls for ending fossil fuels and the internal combustion engine (#3 and #6), this is the most likely of our ten points to set back progress.  In a democracy, voters can simply say 'no' to the best intentions.  And if that means years of backlash, as the problem compounds, it can be worse than waiting for a better opportunity.

10) Remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Every scenario outlined by the IPCC report counts on pulling carbon dioxide out of the air. However, many of the technologies needed to do this are in their infancy.
Plant a tree, build with wood; some seaweed varieties can grow faster than the fastest growing tree.  And, sadly, there are plenty of denuded waters where seaweed can be planted.  Parent: if you can't put all your things back where they belong, at least put them in the closet so the house looks presentable.