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'Liars for Hire,' Ideologues, Block Energy Action: Interview
2010-08-24 04:01:00.3 GMT
Interview by Zinta Lundborg
Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) -- "The fact that we've gotten to this
level of polarization on an issue that's so important to solve
is tragic," says Eric Pooley, author of "The Climate War."
He documents the battle between climate change deniers and
environmental activists trying to avert disaster by creating a
new, sustainable energy model.
Formerly with Fortune and Time before joining Bloomberg
Businessweek, Pooley spent three years getting to know the major
players, including former Vice President Al Gore, Duke Energy
Corp. CEO Jim Rogers and Environmental Defense Fund chief Fred
Krupp. The result is a chilling description of the toxic
political infighting that recently derailed the climate bill in
Congress.
Lundborg: Who still disputes the reality of climate change?
Pooley: I use "professional deniers" to refer to those
who are paid public relations people whose job it is to sow
doubt and confusion, sometimes called "liars for hire."
I use "skeptic" to refer to those exposed to that
disinformation and confused about what the reality is.
No Problem
Lundborg: What caused the derailment of rational discussion
about climate?
Pooley: It became polarized because the people who say they
believe it's not happening teamed up with people who oppose all
forms of taxation and regulation, and so you have a block of
ideologically driven people trying to prevent any kind of
climate action.
Their thinking moves from effect to cause: They hate the
solutions, so they decided there's no problem.
Lundborg: What's their most effective tool?
Pooley: When you go inside the political strategy sessions
at the deniers' convention you see what the MO is: Cap and trade
is a tax that's going to destroy your economy.
College for your children, that's out the window, no more
violin lessons for your little daughter. It's very much fear --
they're going to take your jobs, it's an eco-terrorist plot to
control the energy industry, Al Gore is behind it.
It's About Money
Lundborg: What's the point of delaying the inevitable?
Pooley: We need to realign our economy to move us in the
right direction by pricing and capping carbon, and that's what
the deniers are trying to avoid. The fossil fuel industries will
be disadvantaged by it.
This is a fight over money. It began as an economic battle
and morphed into an ideological battle because it suited the
tactics of the people who don't want to get it done.
Lundborg: If cap and trade is the most sensible way to go,
how did it move from being the premier fix to anathema?
Pooley: It was demonized precisely because it was the
leading solution.
Part of the sad story is that the right was completely
unified in attacking it as a Rube Goldberg tax that was going to
destroy the economy, while the climate action community was not
unified in support of it. They were all over the place.
Lundborg: But aren't delaying tactics costly?
Pooley: Businesses have been waiting for a road-map, they
want to invest and they have billions sitting on the sidelines
waiting to see if carbon is going to be priced or not.
So what's going to happen to that investment? Are we going
to get a new wave of coal-fired power plants? That would be
disastrous.
China Gets It
Lundborg: Aren't we also getting left behind in clean
energy technology?
Pooley: While we're arguing about yesterday's issues, we're
giving the keys to the new economy to China, which is spending
$9 billion a month on this.
We need to unleash the power of the private sector. You
want to be in a place where you're maximizing profit by doing
the right thing.
Lundborg: Is economic pain inevitable?
Pooley: It's a small hit, estimated to be between $70 and
$140 per year per household.
But the cost of doing nothing is much higher. Opponents
ignore that part of the equation and pretend that business as
usual is sustainable.
Lundborg: During your research for the book, what surprised
you the most?
Pooley: I couldn't believe how little progress we've made,
considering the unstoppable tipping points that are coming.
Lundborg: What can we do?
Pooley: People have not been sufficiently mobilized on this
issue. The only way to jog the politicians out of their
passivity is by demanding it.
The message of the book is that you can't just have
politics as usual.
(Zinta Lundborg is a writer for Bloomberg News. The
opinions expressed are her own. This interview was adapted from
a longer conversation.)
To buy this book in North America, click here.
For Related News and Information:
Top arts and culture stories: MUSE <GO>
Interviews by Zinta Lundborg: NI LUNDBORG <GO>
Interview stories: NI BACKSTAGE <GO>
--Editor: Manuela Hoelterhoff, Daniel Billy.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Zinta Lundborg in New York +1-212-617-4006 or
zlundborg@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Manuela Hoelterhoff at +1-212-617-3486
mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
