New York Times: “How Trump May Unintentionally Cut Carbon Emissions”
RFF Fellow Brian Prest offers his thoughts on the relationship between new federal economic policies and global emissions.
And economic downturns are hard on average consumers, who lose jobs and have their hours cut. Even if they might do fewer loads of laundry to save on their energy bills, investing in an electric vehicle or a heat pump for their house becomes more difficult (and will be even more so if Congress repeals Biden-era subsidies for those items).
“Recessions are not times when people decide to spend a lot of money to upgrade their washing machines to a more energy-efficient one,” said Brian Prest, a fellow at Resources for the Future, an energy-focused think tank. Holding back the upgrade cycle can keep emissions from falling as much as they might have in a healthy economy.
But the more important implications of a trade war and ensuing recession would kick in over the longer term, and none of them are good for the climate.
