S12 Ep6: "What Next:" how carbon pricing could be used to shore up Social Security

Alliance for Market Solutions' Alex Flint discusses the durability of a carbon tax and the opportunity to tie one to Social Security.

In the first of a series we are calling “What Next,” we explore where there is potential action on climate change. Our friend Alex Flint from the Alliance for Market Solutions gives the bad news— we have very little time to save Social Security. But he also has some good news — a carbon tax can be part of that solution."Resolving the coming Social Security crisis will require confronting a taboo that has shaped American politics for decades: new federal revenue. Lawmakers will debate raising the retirement age, cutting benefits, increasing the payroll tax rate, eliminating the cap on taxable wages and other possible remedies. Every option will be fiercely contested, politically treacherous and deeply unpopular. Millions of Americans will pay more, receive less or both," Alex writes. "In that context, a carbon tax — dismissed as politically impossible since the 1990s — may represent something different: not an ideal solution, but a viable contributor." To check out the work on the Alliance for Market Solutions, visit their website. You can find the full text of Alex’s recent op-ed on this topic in The Invading Sea.

"Mud Lake" is a collection of short adventure stories about children living in Haslett, Michigan, during the 1960s and 70s, when kids were allowed to freely explore the natural world without adult instruction or supervision. These stories by author Sam Lovall underscore the importance of natural areas as places for young people to experience mental and physical challenges in authentic settings with real plants, wildlife, and people. Listen to Sam describe the importance of kids experiencing the outdoors with podcast host Chelsea Henderson! 

4C Director Dr. John Kotcher said leaders need to find new ways to talk about climate change.

GMU's Dr. John Kotcher explains that less media coverage and stories regarding climate change is reducing public awareness.

GMU's Director for the Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) Dr. John Kotcher said their polling data consistently shows Americans across the political spectrum acknowledge climate change is happening and support action.

Dr. John Kotcher is the new director of the GMU Center for Climate Change Communication. He joined host Chelsea Henderson this week to share highlights of the top-line takeaways of the most recent edition of "Climate Change in the American Mind." To find out more about GMU's Center for Climate Change and Communication (4Cs), check out the 4C website online. at: https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/

Ross Matzkin-Bridger on trying to clear the waste hurdle with regard to nuclear energy.

Nuclear Scaling Initiative's Ross Matzkin-Bridger on the rising demand for electricity in the U.S.

Ross Matzkin-Bridger shares more about the Nuclear Scaling Initiative and the work they do.