Climate change is the most pressing issue in the world, and the twenty-three Democratic candidates for President have ideas about how to address it. For decades, economists have argued for a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax as the cheapest and most efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions. Now progressives and climate activists are advocating for a different approach, focussing on renewable energy and creating jobs. Their efforts have resulted in the Green New Deal resolutions before Congress. What do the various proposals entail—and would any of them work?
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A New Generation of Activists Confronts the Extinction Crisis
The unarrested progress of climate change and environmental degradation are forcing us to stretch our imaginations beyond specific narratives of loss.
By Osita Nwanevu
Daily Comment
Notes from a Remarkable Political Moment for Climate Change
After years of languishing, climate concern is suddenly and explosively rising to the top of the political agenda—maybe, though not certainly, fast enough that we’ll get real action.
By Bill McKibben
Daily Comment
The Obscene Energy Demands of A.I.
How can the world reach net zero if it keeps inventing new ways to consume energy?
By Elizabeth Kolbert