DALLAS – As 11 Republicans in Congress break from party line by calling for action against climate change, and Pope Francis is expected in his first address before Congress to appeal for policies combating global warming, the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) presents three diverse policy perspectives at an exclusive event in Dallas Friday on what the U.S. can do, if anything.
“Climate change is a polarizing subject, no pun intended,” said IPI president Tom Giovanetti. “Some, including President Obama, use climate change to demand massive increases in environmental regulation, wealth transfers to developing countries, and harmful economic impacts on the U.S. economy. Others are skeptical that the U.S. can or should do anything.”
A new congressional resolution drafted by Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) and signed by nearly a dozen Republican members acknowledges the problem of climate change and calls for action to solve it in the form of “conservative environment stewardship.” But what does that mean? Should we adopt a carbon tax or other tax incentives? Should we invest in green technologies? Would the benefits of such expenditures justify the costs? And what about the important role of innovation?
At an exclusive lunch on Friday, September 25, at the Belo Mansion in Dallas, IPI will bring together three distinguished experts to discuss the range of policy options available to the U.S. and the merits of each. The panel features author Robert Bryce of the Manhattan Institute, former Representative Bob Inglis (R-SC), founder of George Mason University’s Energy and Enterprise Initiative, and Benjamin Zycher, American Enterprise Institute resident scholar.
“While the actual science of climate change is caught up in a tug-of-war, there is a low-level consensus that the climate IS changing and that human activity probably plays some role,” said Giovanetti. “Given this low-level consensus, this event promises to be a civil and enlightening discussion of what policies, if any, the United States should adopt related to climate change.”