Assorted Afflatuses

At this week's climate summit in Bali, Indonesia, the negotiations boiled down to this:

Most of the World: We should all agree to legally binding climate change targets.
The United States: We won't do anything unless China and India do something.

On one level, I understand the United States's argument. It makes no sense to allow China and India to continue growing at a breakneck pace with little or no regard for the environment. But that does not mean the United States should stick to the status quo. Despite what Barack Obama or Mitt Romney might argue, spending a few billion dollars to fund dead-end ethanol projects in Iowa does not amount to strong action to combat climate change.

Rather, the United States should take the lead. We should stop acting like a spoiled two-year-old and take clear, decisive action. George W. Bush might have a legitimate reason to call himself the "leader of the free world" if he actually took the lead on climate change, or, for that matter, any other issue. It makes infinitely more sense for the United States to, say, impose a two dollar per gallon gasoline tax, which would help the environment and then some, than to sit around and whine about China.

As I have opined on more than one occasion, the United States stands to gain far more than cleaner air by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. By reducing our demand for oil, and subsequently driving down the price of crude, we could significantly weaken the grips of the world's petro-dictators, which would put backward-thinking men like Vladimir Putin and Hugo Chavez out of power and make the world a safer, friendlier place for everyone. We would also give a much-needed jolt of capital investment and competitive edge to our nascent green technology firms.

What's more, though, by taking the moral high ground on the climate change issue, rather than continuing to trudge around in moral limbo, the United States would do wonders for its battered image. Our strong stance vis-à-vis global warming might also compel India and China to take action. Whatever flaws we may have, many people in China and India look up to us, and, more importantly, the governments of those countries have a strong desire to engage us in a bout of one-upsmanship.

Fortunately, though, an environmental superiority complex has none of the security risks that come along with a nuclear arms superiority complex.

So, Mr. Bush, skip your Sunday morning bike ride, put on a few extra ounces of weight, and take the lead on climate change. You will be thanked.