Hello all,
The goals of energy independence and climate stability are not necessarily the
same: for example many use energy independence as a justification why coal
production should increase.
To this statement I would add something about appointments. Pulling out of the
Paris agreement doesn't change much, as we could stay in while simply ignoring
it. Appointing science deniers to cabinet positions though will likely lead to
direct changes in both policy and outcomes.
Best,
Seth
_________________________
Seth Wiggins, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Division of Economics and Business
Colorado School of Mines
From: envreseconepa-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [envreseconepa-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
on behalf of Shana McDermott [shanamcdermott@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 3:02 PM
To: envreseconepa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [envreseconepa] Re: Organized statement on climate change
Hi Tom,
I certainly support this and would be interested in getting other people at my
University involved. We may also want to consider mentioning energy
independence in the letter- perhaps a non-climate change related incentive may
be a way to get individuals attentions.
Shana
_________________________
Shana M. McDermott, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
Trinity University
On Tue, Nov 15, 2016 at 3:11 PM, Thomas Lyon
<tplyon@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:tplyon@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Dear Concerned RESECON Colleagues,
I wanted to share with you a discussion that is going on in other parts of my
network. A group of business school faculty are thinking about a joint
statement that would address the broad issue of climate change and Trump's
pretense that is does not exist. This may make more sense than a quick outcry
about appointing climate denier Myron Ebell to guide the energy and environment
transition. We may also want to add a comment about the Clean Power Plan into
this. At this point it is just a first draft.
But it might be something that would attract broad support from environmental
and resource economists, too, if a few of the words were changed. I suppose
that raises the question of whether we might broaden the language to include
economists as well as business school faculty, and present this all under one
umbrella, or whether it is better to have two separate statements.
The draft is below. Your thoughts are most welcome.
Best wishes,
Tom Lyon
A Public Expression of Concern on Climate Change: A Call for Action in
Business and Business Schools
As a general rule, academics in business schools do not take political
positions with respect to developments in national (or international or local)
politics. Our role is primarily to do research and to teach the next
generation of business leaders. However, the surprising election of Donald
Trump as the next President of the United States, along with his promise to
renege on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which has just entered into
force on November 6, 2016 (with ratification to date by 110 countries including
the U.S.), compels us to depart from this general rule and to make a statement
in opposition of President-elect Trump’s position. We urge him to reconsider
taking this course of action.
For many years, academics like us have been studying the challenges posed by
climate change from a business point of view, even as scientific studies have
shown, with increasing certainty and detail, that climate change poses a
significant threat to the very foundations of human civilization. If effective
measures are not taken to reverse rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions,
then, as scientists tell us, there will be extreme consequences in terms of
rising sea levels, increasingly heavy precipitation events, higher temperatures
(including heat waves and more frequent forest fires), and more severe droughts
and water shortages. Human consequences will include mass starvation,
exponentially increased refugee flows, increasing range of formerly “tropical”
diseases, and new wars over food and water. In light of these predicted
consequences to the very fabric of human civilization, we cannot as academics
stay silent in the face of a political call to ignore science and to allow the
United States to reverse course on climate policy. We therefore call in the
strongest possible terms for President-elect Trump to stay his hand with
respect to the Paris Agreement. The United States should not become a rogue
nation with respect to climate change; instead it should remain at the
forefront of international policy and dialogue.
In any event, regardless of whether we can have an influence over decisions of
a new Trump Administration, we call on our fellow business academics and, most
importantly, business people themselves, to redouble their efforts and
commitments to adopt climate friendly policies and practices. Over the last
several decades, we have witnessed a strong increase in the commitment of many
business firms to take climate change seriously and to become “part of the
solution” rather than “part of the problem.” We reaffirm efforts to advance
the cause of climate resilience in the business community. After all, as
David Brower has famously said: “There is no business to be done on a dead
planet.”
We urge President-elect Trump to listen to the world’s leading scientists and
the great weight of international political opinion as expressed by the 197
parties to the Paris Agreement and to stay the course with respect to this
Agreement. In addition, in light of the political threat to progress on
climate change, we urge business schools and business firms to redouble their
efforts to confront this real and immediate threat to human civilization.
There is no time to wait.
The undersigned business faculty members of the Alliance for Research in
Corporate Sustainability and the Organizations and Natural Environment section
of the Academy of Management.
--
Thomas P. Lyon
Dow Chair of Sustainable Science, Technology and Policy
Ross School of Business
School of Natural Resources and Environment
University of Michigan
701 Tappan St., Room 6366
Ann Arbor, MI 48409
734-615-1639<tel:734-615-1639>
--
_________________________
Shana M. McDermott, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
Trinity University
(860)989-6202
