This commentary is by state Rep. Curt McCormack, a Democrat from Burlington.
Does a day pass without devastating news about what we are doing to the climate of this wonderful planet on which we all live?
Scientists, who have been warning us for years, are now warning us that feedback loops from our unprecedented carbon dioxide and other global warming emissions can turn the planet into a place hardly habitable for human beings.
One would think that their earlier predictions coming true, indeed, sooner than predicted, would convince us to listen to them.
Does a day pass without an NPR devastating climate story followed by the good news that air travel is up again and the president is working diligently to lower the price of gasoline? Meanwhile, large pickup trucks and SUVs now make up nearly 70% of new automobile sales and I don’t know about yours, but much of my family and friends are flying all over the country and world like nobody’s business.
Are we living in the same world at the same time?
OK, so we are not going to change or do much to fight climate change. We are waiting for the government to do something, I guess. But how is the government supposed to do something serious when serious efforts are met with such opposition to turn politicians out of office?
We seem to think that we can have our SUVs, frequent air travel and cheap gasoline as long as we keep talking about climate. Look at the reaction to recent gasoline prices.
It is well known that the only way Americans use less energy is when the price rises. It was low prices that brought about the enormous pickup truck/SUV popularity. So, the price recently rose, which is reported on the news, NPR included, as some kind of tragedy and the president is forced to take steps to reverse this trend. He has little choice.
Here in Vermont, our governor will not support any climate action that may cost Vermonters anything. Electrification of transportation and home heating and the greening of the electrical grid needed to support this increase in electricity demand is not keeping up with the warming of the planet.
Do we have to wait for this technological reformation to finally take hold or can we, at the same time, reduce our demand for fossil fuels? I say we can and I don’t see any other way to get to the reductions of CO2 emissions that scientists are pleading for in time. Indeed, we are already late. We blew the usual government/industry opportunity for long transitions. We need to act now.
The federal government should not temporarily remove the relatively (to Europe, Canada and Japan) low gas tax, 18.4 cents per gallon. Neither should the state do this. Harvard economists recently predicted that most of the savings would go into the pockets of oil suppliers and not motorists. They advocated for something better: subsidize public transit more. This is something we are already doing in Vermont by making our transit free statewide.
Vermont should pass legislation that puts a price on high-carbon vehicles but only for people of a certain income and higher. Higher-income people, as a group, consume considerably more energy than middle- and lower-income people. There should be a business exemption as well. The program should incentivize low-carbon vehicles. This can be accomplished a number of ways and, of course, is already done in a number of places.
If done well, we would not only expedite electric vehicle purchases, but we would also see fewer oversized vehicles. Vermont could provide leadership by becoming a noticeably different place — a place where vehicles are not so large, where there is good Amtrak service and bicycle infrastructure.
The difference between Europe and the U.S. regarding Europe’s smaller trucks and cars: Extensive electrified rail and bicycle infrastructure is simply a matter of tax policy. They discourage oversized vehicles and encourage smaller ones and an all-around better transportation system.
Vermont can do this. Let’s imagine, and bring about, real change.
