We are becoming a poorer country as a result of the political leadership of a significant portion of our population over more than four decades. That leadership has culminated in the election of the current president and installation of his administration. Some of the obvious signs of our increasing poverty include inflation, which is expected to rise, and job loss, which is happening now and will continue. The home insurance market is withdrawing from climate-pressured markets, and the safety net supporting low-income adults and children is about to be ripped to shreds.
We are poorer in another sense as well. Our entertainment culture now supports values of disparagement, disrespect, and dismissal of those different from one’s particular background and life circumstances. Violence and cruelty are on the ascent. For those who appreciate and indeed relish the diversity of this country, this is a heartbreaking time.
And yet another way our country has become poorer is in its prospects for a vibrant future that could build on the many strengths enjoyed in the post-World War II period. Talent world-wide has been attracted to our universities and research institutions. Meaningful, if incomplete, work has been accomplished in expanding civil rights for all, and the richness of the service economy has opened the doors to a prosperous life for many. These strengths are slipping through our fingers like grains of sand. It is our strengths that allow us to continue to work for “a more perfect Union” by chipping away at the equally compelling list of our country’s failures and weaknesses.
To take one example of loss, U.S. global leadership in the climate crisis is being squandered. This loss is not only our contribution to innovation and technology; it is also a moral failure. Climate disruption touches everyone, sooner or later. Scientists understand that waiting to act until “later” is too late for a livable world for our children. Up to the present, U.S. leadership has mattered, especially with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 that supercharged private investment into climate-friendly purchasing and manufacturing.
Without U.S. pressure and engagement, other countries’ commitments and efforts can flag and international climate agreements weaken. For example, increasing energy efficiency (which is the amount energy needed to perform a given task) is considered to be the most powerful tool at present to secure energy affordability and security. At the 2023 global climate conference in Dubai, countries agreed to double the rate of global improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. Today that effort has stalled and the global climate future continues to look grimmer and grimmer.
What does a poorer America look like from a climate perspective? The loss of incentives for clean energy will keep fossil fuels playing the lead role in our mix of energy sources. The consequences of burning fossil fuels are ongoing pollution of the environment and the threat to our health. Global land, air and sea temperatures will continue to rise until emissions from burning fossil fuels decrease and end. As infrastructure crumbles, all beings will seek protection from extreme weather events. Access to food will not be assured, and places that are livable for humans, other animals and plants will no longer support these lives. This is how we become poorer, and communities fracture.
Here are a few examples of the retrenchment included in the budget bill the Senate will vote on soon: Doing away with home energy rebates for electric heat pumps and induction stoves; eliminating the tax credit of $7,500 for the purchase of electric vehicles. The tax credit for homeowners who install solar panels on rooftops will disappear within 180 days of the signing of the bill into law.
One analysis of the elimination of the solar panel tax credit estimates that it would take households 17 years on average to pay off their investment. Another analysis estimates that rooftop solar installation could decrease by 85% by 2030. The effect of these policy changes on the solar industry would be devastating just as it is ramping up to bring cheaper and reliable energy to American homes and businesses.
It is important that we face the future with open eyes and an understanding of the trajectory that the global climate is on. Opportunities exist to influence that future if we are so bold and caring to take them. America need not become a poorer country if we revert back to the values of our founders enshrined in the Constitution.
Helen Seidler lives in Northampton.