How to Debunk Environmental Gabble on Turkey Day

GREEN IS GOOD
by Margaret Smith

For many people, the holidays are the best time of the year. Food, fun, family, friends -- it's hard to imagine what's not to love. And then, you think about all those awkward family conversations that seem to snake their way onto the dinner table each and every year.

Just picture it: You're sitting at the table, licking off the last bits of apple pie from your plate while still stomaching the brutal debate you just had to go through over healthcare reform. Suddenly crazy Uncle Bob, the lone conservative of the family, starts going off about the new Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act introduced by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA) this past September.

Emotionally drained from all the political debate and not sure if you can kick out any more intellectual comments? Luckily, BuzzFlash has got you covered. Here are our quick tips on what to say to get through any environmental debate:

1. Cousin Joe, who works at a coal mine and says he's afraid of losing his job: "This new environment bill is going to put me out of business!" Well, perhaps Cousin Joe has seen too many advertisements from the National Association of Manufacturers and EnergyCitizens.org, and now he thinks that the new bill really "will cost up to 2.4 million jobs."

What to say: Gently give Joe the real facts on job loss. According to both the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Boxer-Kerry bill could possibly kill old jobs but still effectively create new ones. There may be job losses in markets that produce carbon-based fuels, including coal and petroleum. With an increased demand for renewable energy, though, there will be more jobs available in wind turbines, solar panels, and other energy conservation products. Overall, total employment will decrease for a while, but only by a little as markets adjust (definitive numbers are still up in the air). And how safe is Cousin Joe working in a coal mine, anyway?

2. Uncle Bob, the one conservative of the family, simply thinks that America can't afford to save the environment right now. Shouldn't we be focusing on healthcare? And won't all these environmental reforms bring America's overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) down?

What to say: Honestly, we can't say. There aren't any definitive numbers yet on what the Senate's energy bill would cost and how it will effect the economy. Many leading studies agree that it will reduce the country's overall GDP by a small portion due to the changing markets, but all of this is dependent on what the policy design officially ends up being. Here's a question you can ask Uncle Bob right back, though: What if we have any catastrophic climate disaster? Can America really afford that?

3. Your sister, who's about to get married, says that she thinks the new bill will be too expensive, and push most of the costs of reform onto the average citizen. After all, the Heritage Foundation did say that the cap-and-trade tax in the House's American Clean Energy and Security Act could raise the average family's annual energy bill by about $1,241, and House Republicans have quoted a report from MIT saying that it could cost the consumers up to $3,100.

What to say: The bill is much more affordable than that (in fact, Republicans even misquoted those numbers). According to a report released by the CBO last June, the House's bill would cost the average household about $174 a year, or 44 cents a day -- as much as it costs to buy a postage stamp. Costs will vary from year to year depending on how much income your family makes and other factors in the bill that need to be decided. With starting projections of a stamp a day, though, things are looking good.

4. Grandma Mary, who has trouble walking, is worried that she won't be able to drive her car around as much because it's bad for the environment. Grandma Mary thinks we need to save the environment, too, but she absolutely needs her car to get around.

What to say: Tell your grandma that not only do we have until 2020 to reduce carbon emissions from there 2005 levels, but also that the Boxer-Kerry bill has plenty of incentives for businesses to try and focus on renewable energy resources. Want more proof that she'll be able to get around? Maybe biofuels aren't the best alternative to gasoline, but with trends like hybrids and electric vehicles on the rise, there are plenty of "green" cars for her to use. Best Christmas present ever?

On Thanksgiving we should all remember to be grateful for the world we live in. Give those you love a little reminder.

GREEN IS GOOD

Image courtesy of DeaPeaJay's photostream on Flickr.