A Free Market Solution to Climate Change

Like Greta Thunberg, I am a quiet activist. In May 2017 I bought a used 2013 Ford Focus Electric with 60 miles of range for my 58-mile commute. It proved to be very inconvenient, it changed all of my routines — but I had to do something about CO2. That decision continues to change my life.

Summer gave way to the cooler air of Autumn. By October, the effect of the cooler temperatures on my vehicle’s battery necessitated daily stops at the 6kW charger at the community college. Inconvenient. While my EV charged on one brisk October afternoon, I sat down with an advisor and decided to finish my degree; I had dropped out of college a decade prior. Nearly 18 months have passed, and I’m now finishing a BS in Writing & Rhetoric Studies.

“I think it would be helpful if you could help us just a little bit.” Greta’s words hit me hard, so I will write what I can — For most of my adult life, I have been making personal decisions, in line with my libertarian principles, to voluntarily reduce my own carbon footprint. It has cost me convenience, time, and money. Truth. Meanwhile, political and market leaders “have wasted 30 yrs of inaction,” punting the ball while waiting on future technologies. The technology has arrived and bold action like the Green New Deal could get us to net-zero CO2 within a decade. The time for inaction is over.

If you want a free market solution, this is it: ban the burning of all fossil fuels within five years.

I know most Republicans and libertarians may never support market intervention like the Green New Deal. If you want a market solution, this is it: ban the burning of all fossil fuels within five years. There are solutions on the market. It will be inconvenient, but it will all work out. If that is too radical for you, support immediate, bold and collective action like the Green New Deal.