The quickest way to anger a swarm of venomous republican lawmakers?
Initiate a new climate plan that requires states to meet specific carbon emission reduction standards, while including incentive programs to get a head start on meeting standards on early deployment of renewable energy.
This is exactly what President Obama did this week, and rest assured, this plan will be met with more firepower than was released after he presented the first proposed draft of Obamacare.
The fossil fuel industry, which is well-represented in the halls of Congress, has bankrolled hundreds of campaigns, and it will not be silenced. In fact, it’s about to unleash a serious flood of cash in an effort to stop Obama in his tracks.
But it won’t matter.
It’s all in the game
This is Obama’s proverbial middle finger to those who don’t find the data on climate change to be sound. It’s his “Hail Mary” before his eight-year reign comes to an end. And there is no overtime in this game.
We know that Obama talked a good game about climate change when he first ran for office. But, being the master chess player he is, the president strategized this move long before the first pawn was even captured.
Despite the fact that Obamacare was a vicious battle from day one, it pales in comparison to the battle that awaited him in regards to climate change action. And that, dear reader, is why he didn’t even attempt to present this plan until well into his second term, and of course, in alignment with the next presidential election.
You see, while there are plenty of outspoken folks who don’t find the data on climate change to be sound, when it comes to public opinion, more than 50% of Americans do find the data to be sound. Or at least as much as they can understand. Which is why most polls will present the question: “How Concerned are you about Climate Change?”
Of course, there are so many polls these days, it’s hard to determine which are objective and which are not. But here’s what I do know …
The two democrat frontrunners are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Both have been extremely vocal about supporting plans to slow carbon emissions. And rest assured, both will support any plan Obama has put into action – if not making it even more aggressive.
So why would both of these candidates focus so heavily on climate change? Because their intelligence gathering has indicated that this is an issue on which they can win, and it’s an issue that concerns enough Americans that it’s worth parading around on the campaign trail.
Republicans would be wise to take a page from this playbook, because even if Jeb Bush or Rand Paul were to support Obama’s plan, it wouldn’t hurt their chances against Hillary or Bernie.
I don’t know of any individual that has been more loathed by the republicans than Hillary Clinton. She poses a threat, and the GOP knows it. And Bernie? Well, he’s a socialist, and no republican is going to even pretend to support a socialist.
Just like Omar Little from the “The Wire” said, “It’s all in the game.”
Of course, I’m not a big fan of these types of games. I don’t think screwing with our freedoms or our economy is a game. It’s serious business and should be dealt with accordingly. But I don’t make the rules, I just profit from them.
Get a piece of the action
I don’t care if you think climate change is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the planet. Actions are being taken – on a global scale – to address CO2 emissions. And while I fault no man for questioning climate change, I think it’s beyond stupid to let an opportunity like this pass you by.
Even if Obama’s plan is met with a fight every step of the way (which it will be), a sea change is underway. Public opinion is a powerful thing, and it will facilitate action.
More importantly, however, is this …
The main catalyst for climate change mitigation is a transition of our global energy economy from one heavily weighted in fossil fuels to one heavily weighted in renewables. And there’s the rub.
While environmentalists have long spent their years singing the praises of renewable energy, it usually fell on deaf ears because renewable energy was just too cost prohibitive to pursue. But that’s just no the case anymore.
We know that rapid cost declines in solar and wind have resulted in massive growth for those industries. In many parts of the world, solar and wind are already cost competitive with fossil fuels, and within the next ten years, this will be the case almost everywhere. And by the way, this is without subsidies.
Truth is, I’m not even sure Obama’s climate plan is even necessary, given the fact that solar and wind continue to gain market share. But again, I don’t make the rules, I just profit from them. And with this new plan being presented, solar and wind, which are already enjoying significant momentum, are just going to become even more profitable. So you might as well get a piece of the action.
If you’re not already profiting from the boom in solar and wind, I suggest you do so immediately. Here are some of my favorite renewable energy stocks …
- SunEdision (NYSE: SUNE)
- SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR)
- First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR)
- Vestas Wind Systems (OTCBB: VWDRY)
- SolarEdge (NASDAQ: SEDG)
Invest accordingly.
