PrintIn this lesson, we've talked about the factors influencing the development and change of energy and climate policy.
Important Concepts to take away from this lesson
Think about these considerations in the context of your municipality's work. Who are the stakeholders with the most to gain (or lose) from its implementation, and how have they been/might they be involved? You should also be thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of industry's involvement in the development of our policies. Without their expertise and insight, it might be difficult to construct policies that are realistic, feasible, and achieve the desired results. The other side of that coin, however, is that industry stakeholders bring to the table their own agendas and motives, many of which are (understandably) self-serving, not altruistic. So, where and how we draw the line on industry's policy influence is a real challenge.
I like to think of energy and climate policy formation in terms of the image shown above (taken by my husband, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii). When lava oozes from a volcano, and blankets out across the landscape with no regard for what was there before, it covers everything in a crunchy, challenging, and rocky landscape. I feel like this is where we're starting right now in terms of addressing our energy and climate challenges. The current federal political environment, much like this lava field, seems totally inhospitable and wholly incompatible with our climate goals. But, despite that seemingly impenetrable layer of political stalemate, some good will find a way, just like these ferns have found a way (are those vertically diffusing ferns?!?). We've also seen that how inaction on the lava-covered national stage hasn't stopped smaller-scale efforts from sprouting up. I wanted to end the lesson on a hopeful note, recognizing that very quickly these topics can seem a bit hopeless or too big to address. So - chin up! There are so many folks just like you who are working hard to make sure the ferns of climate policy are able to sprout and thrive.
Reminder - Complete all tasks!
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