A Panel Debate on Climate Change

There is no question that the Earth’s climate is changing. The question is: to what degree do human beings have an impact on climate change, and what can we do about it? Which sector is better equipped to handle the consequences of climate change: the private or the public? Given the complexity of the past and the fractured nature of the present, no easy solutions exist for the challenges of climate change.

On an issue of such enduring importance, conservatives and progressives alike must recognize the common ground that we all share: the Earth itself, of course, and a firm belief in the value of teaching and learning together. At this ninth annual Progressive/Conservative Summit, the Hauenstein Center and Koeze Business Ethics Initiative presented a panel of leading experts to debate this timely topic. Three of the experts argued on behalf of government intervention and the Green New Deal, while three argued for market-based responses to our ever-changing climate. Sources for the debate can be viewed here. 

Listen to the interview with WGVU's Shelley Irwin here. 

Our Panelists:

Critical of the Green New Deal:

Jason Hayes, Director of Environmental Policy, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Kevon Martis, Senior Policy Analyst, Interstate Informed Citizens Coalition
Lisa Linowes, Founder, windaction.org

Supportive of the Green New Deal:

John Kinch, Executive Director, Michigan Energy Options
Kelly Parker, Professor of Philosophy and Director, Environmental Studies Program, Grand Valley State University
Jan O’Connell, Development Director, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter