Carbon Politics, American Power, and the Almighty Dollar

Lunch will be served for registered attendees.

Mark Blyth, William R. Rhodes ’57 Prof International Economics & Acting Director, Climate Solutions Lab

If a Trump administration doubles down on carbon, the short-term boost to growth through lower input prices plus deregulation will be huge. Climate denial can be profitable. But the rest of the world, China, Europe and East and South Asia, will continue to develop the green technologies needed to survive in the 21st century. The US will fall behind in this critical area as the countries involved in the green transition trade more intensely with each other. The lock on effect is that the global role of the dollar shrinks. First, because the issuer doesn’t like the side effects. Second, because in a post carbon world, who needs a currency that denominates and is back by carbon assets that no one else uses anymore? In short, our addiction to carbon and the politics that it produces risks burning down the house.

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