As we celebrate our nation’s independence, some of us head for the East Coast beaches where Hurricane Arthur will keep folks hunkered down; others are heading for the cooler mountains; others are staying in the sweltering DC swamp. Whatever the weather, climate change has been creeping back into our consciousness thanks to the President’s Climate Action Plan, the National Climate Assessment, and the recent Environmental Protection Agency’s release of a draft rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Compelling reports have underscored the need for action, in particular Risky Business by the Risky Business Project, co-chaired by Michael Bloomberg, Hank Paulson, and Tom Steyer. The report focuses on the economic risks of climate change and includes fairly granular data that show devastating local, state and regional impacts of “business as usual” energy use. Georgetown Climate Center just released a state energy analysis tool that allows searches and comparisons on state progress in energy and climate as well as potential economic benefits of a greenhouse gas trading scheme. The 38 North Solutions team sees this as a critical time time for clean energy solutions to step in and mitigate the impacts of climate change. It will be important to demonstrate to policymakers in Congress, in the White House, at Department of Energy, and at EPA, the range of benefits these innovative technologies will have on the future our of planet. So, as we flip the burgers and light the sparklers, let’s think of how we can carry on the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders!
