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Happy New Year, GreenSportsBlog readers!
Despite the largely dysfunctional, hyper-partisan political environment we live in these days, a small ray of hope came through the halls of Congress in November and December. That’s when, in the lame duck session, a substantive carbon pricing bill was introduced in both houses, with bipartisan support. It is projected to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent over 10 years.
Of course, passing the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act in the Republican-controlled Senate and getting it signed by the President will be a tough slog.
That said, GSB begins 2019 with a degree of cautious optimism thanks to EICDA’s introduction — and to the support from various precincts of the sports world.
The ongoing government shutdown and the likely return of the Speaker’s gavel to Democrat Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives will garner the lion’s share of the attention when the 116th Congress opens for business tomorrow. At the same time, albeit under the radar, there is a legitimate attempt at substantive, bipartisan legislation.
For real.
A group of House Democrats and Republicans are expected to reintroduce the Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA) early in this session. It was originally introduced — with bipartisan co-sponsors — in both the House and Senate during the November-December lame duck session.
This is a really big deal as the EICDA represents the first bipartisan carbon pricing bill introduced in more than a decade.
The bill proposes an economy-wide fee on carbon-based, greenhouse gas emission-producing energy (i.e. coal, natural gas and oil). It is the rare piece of legislation that has components both conservatives and liberals should love.
Revenue raised would not go to the Treasury — thus it is not a tax and does not add to the size of government. Instead, 100 percent of the revenue, less a small administrative fee, would be returned to all American households in the form of a monthly dividend check for them to spend as they choose. This is straight out of the conservative/libertarian/Republican playbook.
More than 60 percent of all families — those on the lower and middle end of the income scale — would collect more in dividends than they would pay in higher prices, because they, in the main, use less carbon than their wealthier counterparts. This should have great appeal for liberals/Democrats.
An independent economic analysis of EICDA from Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) also showed that:
- Carbon emissions will decrease by 40 percent over 10 years because energy companies, leading industries, and American consumers will move toward cleaner, cheaper options.
- 2.1 million clean(er) energy jobs will be created over 10 years
- 130,000 lives will be saved over 20 years because of better air quality.
ATHLETES BEGIN TO SUPPORT EICDA
At this point, you may well be wondering, what the devil does any of this have to do with Green-Sports?
Of course the sports world, like every other aspect of society, will benefit greatly over time from the slowing of climate change that should result from the aforementioned massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Several U.S. Winter Olympic athletes have endorsed EICDA, among them 2018 cross country skiing gold medalist Jessie Diggins, biathlete Lowell Bailey and cross country skier Sadie Bjornsen.
Olympic cross country skier Sadie Bjornsen supports the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that is expected to be reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives early in the new session that starts tomorrow (Photo credit: Getty Images)
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher and eco-athlete Brent Suter also is on board with EICDA.
“At this point in time, a carbon pricing program and higher incentives for clean energy are absolutely imperative towards the goal of stabilizing our climate and ensuring a healthy and viable future for our planet,” remarked Suter. “The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act would not only help achieve these goals, but would give the funds raised back to the people, save countless lives, and create millions of jobs! A Green Revolution needs to happen fast, and this law, if passed, would play a vital role in helping solve the most important problem of our lives.”
Brent Suter of the Milwaukee Brewers (Photo credit: Milwaukee Brewers)
POLITICS OF EICDA: PLAYING THE LONG GAME
Even though the Republicans lost 40 House seats in the November mid-term elections — and with it, their majority — the two GOP lead co-sponsors of EICDA, Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Francis Rooney (FL-19) were reelected. They presumably will join with a number of their Democratic colleagues, including original co-sponsors Ted Deutch (FL-22), John Delaney (MD-6) and Charlie Crist (FL-13), to reintroduce the bill sooner rather than later.
Now that the Democrats control the chamber, passage of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is much more likely than if the Republicans were still in the majority — but it is not a given. That’s because the progressive/left wing of the Democratic caucus in the House may oppose EICDA’s dividend component, preferring a carbon pricing bill that would fund renewable energy projects, cleantech job retraining, etc.
Still, passage in the House will be a tea time luncheon compared to the Republican-controlled Senate.
The GOP now enjoys a 53-47 majority, up from 51-49 in the last Congress. Jeff Flake of Arizona was the Republican EICDA Senate co-sponsor (Chris Coons of Delaware was his Democratic opposite number), but he retired at the end of December. So someone else from the GOP needs to step up to get the bill reintroduced in the Senate. That is expected to take several months at least.
And, remember, we’re just talking about reintroducing EICDA in the Senate. The odds of actually passing the bill in the upper chamber and then getting a signature from President Trump are longer than the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship in June. In case you don’t follow the NBA, the Knicks are currently tied for the second worst record in the league.
Yet, while it is early days, momentum is building. Supporters of EICDA are like experienced (ancient?) Knicks fans like me who are old enough have waited 45 years (and counting) for a championship: they’re playing the long game.
GSB’s Take: It says here that the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act — or another carbon pricing bill that evolves from it — will:
- Pass the House, with mainstream Democrats, progressives and a few Republicans coming together to push it across the finish line.
- Find a Republican co-sponsor by June. Who will it be? My guess is Utah’s Mitt Romney.
When EICDA will pass both houses of Congress and get signed by a President? That will happen well before the Knicks win the NBA Championship.
I know what you’re thinking.
“Lew, that’s not going out on a limb — Knicks fans may have to wait another 45 years for a title and the planet doesn’t have that kind of time.” Fair enough. I will go big and say that a President will sign carbon pricing legislation within the next three years.
To be clear, I’m not saying that THIS President will sign carbon pricing legislation — But A U.S. President will, and within three years time. The support of athletes like Sadie Bjornsen, Brent Suter and, hopefully, many more will help.
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