STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: “Big Oil backs carbon tax push”

Axios’ Amy Harder is reporting that four of the world’s biggest oil and natural gas producers, environmental groups and political leaders, are announcing a unified push urging Congress to enact a carbon tax to address climate change on Wednesday.

It’s way too simplistic to scoff at this as just “political correctness” or a PR stunt. These companies are too smart and are spending way too much money to dismiss out of hand. Perhaps, just maybe, there is an effort to take the religious zeal out of discussion about climate change and look at the issue without panic or polarization. The Climate Leadership Council is proposing a four-part plan that seems to address the issue like grownups. In an earlier column, Harder wrote:

“I think we’re at a point where most Republicans accept the climate is warming but don’t see it as world ending and don’t see a solution that’ll really make a real impact,” said a Republican strategist who has held positions in GOP political campaigns and congressional offices.”

If you are convinced that any talk of climate change is a total scam and should be ignored, you’re really no better than the religious zealots screaming “the science is settled!” to shut down debate and discovery. I think debate and discovery is always a good thing, especially when adults are doing the debating and the discussion is driven by policy examination instead of tribalism.