FRIDAY THOUGHTS: Coming Together on Climate

By Sam Trombley

Today, we will hopefully watch Congress pass an ambitious healthcare, climate and tax package, the largest climate investment in U.S. history. The Inflation Reduction Act puts the U.S. on the path to cut pollution in half by 2030, create millions of clean energy jobs, invest in environmental justice, and make renewable energy options more affordable for working class families.

There's no denying that some of the tradeoffs made to reach the deal elicit a "huh?" and "that seems backwards" response. Most notably, the provision to support fossil fuel producers by leasing over 200 million onshore and offshore acres for oil and gas development. Seems ironic, right? Well, experts say that the net positive will outweigh the setbacks. As it stands, all of the efforts included in the Bill would subtract 24 tons of carbon emissions for each ton of emissions from oil and gas. Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.),summed it up with the classic trope,“You can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

So here we are, waiting on deck for what could be the most transformative government-backed climate action in history. The big question is: if it passes, what's next? As a grassroots organization, we're always thinking about what we can do in our spaces, our communities, to make real and lasting change. In New Hampshire, there are some really cool initiatives in the works from municipal the state level, like community solar projects, EV school bus pilots, and coastal resilience grants. But we need more collaboration among industries, and buy-in from elected officials, to truly leverage the national incentives and move the needle on climate in our hometowns.

- granite outdoor