Why is it in America’s interests to promote solar energy over coal/oil:
1. The less dependence on oil, the lower Russia’s revenues and ability to use those revenues to fund influence elsewhere.
2. The less dependence on oil, the more high value and sustainable jobs are created in the USA.
3. The less dependence on oil, the lower Iran’s strength through exports.
4. The less dependence on oil, the lower the need to protect a desert sand dune while risking American troops lives abroad.
5. Coal is now double the price of large solar without the health/environmental costs even being counted yet.
Strategically, it becomes a powerful tool which the Chinese and Europeans seem to have understood. They don’t talk about renewables as an enemy. They fully understand it is the future of economic development.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want clean air and water for their children. The discussion about climate change is a red herring. Its a diversion tactic created by people who are looking for argument rather than agreement. The discussion should be about economic development that creates high value jobs and that doesn’t create more bad air or bad water.
Does anyone really want a repeat of Flint, Michigan or the BP oil spill in the Caribbean that costs people their health and billions to clean up and disrupted families’ livelihoods in Flint or all along the southern USA coast?
Trump can say all he wants that he’ll tear up the Paris Agreements. Perhaps the USA could “go it alone” forty years ago yet today the Chinese are getting stronger each day and the Europeans may question too much dependence on the USA for support and therefore will be prone to partner with others on many fronts and leave the USA behind.