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Article

29 Mar 2017

Author:
David Wolfe, Cornell Univ., in Forbes (USA)

Commentary: US must be at forefront of the transition to clean energy to remain a global power

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"What Trump’s Climate Change Executive Order Means for the Future of Clean Energy", 28 Mar 2017

Trump’s climate and energy policy is based on the false premise that a world with safeguards for clean air and water and a stable climate is incompatible with economic growth. It reflects a fear of change, rather than a worldview that seeks to turn our environmental challenges into economic opportunities...Washington should design policies that support coal industry communities during this time of transition. But it should also nudge the fossil fuel industry toward diversification and new business opportunities with clean energy technology and renewables..For America to remain a global power, it must be at the forefront of the transition to clean energy. This will also spare the U.S. from the mounting costs of coping with the negative impacts of climate change on infrastructure, human health, and national security....Regardless of the new administration’s position on climate change, the private sector is starting to take action. In 2015, more than 80 powerhouse U.S. companies became signatories of the “American Business Act on Climate.”..While such efforts are mitigating climate change’s effects for now, they’ll eventually need the full support of the U.S. government if they hope to tackle this monumental challenge...[Refers to Walmart, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Google, Apple, and Microsoft,]