Pete Buttigieg

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Editor's note: This is an opinion column written by one of the Democratic candidates for president of the United States. The Reno Gazette Journal accepts columns from major candidates across the political spectrum, whether left or right, as a way to help inform the voting public.

When we talk about climate change, too often the image in our minds is of polar bears in the North Pole. But it could just as easily be symbolized by the million acres of Nevada land burned by wildfires last year. When extreme weather killed 74 Nevadans in 2018, and when the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that the number of days with a heat index above 90 degrees in Nevada will more than triple by 2050 — causing water shortages and threatening public health — climate change is not some distant threat. From Hurricane Dorian devastating the Bahamas to fires ravaging the Amazon to more than one “once-in-a-millennium” flood in my hometown of South Bend, climate change is already affecting everyone, everywhere. It is the security challenge of our time, and a wall on our southern border won’t stop it.

For too long, Washington has chosen denial and obstruction. But the timeline that compels us to act isn’t set by Congress — it’s being dictated by science. With climate catastrophe on the horizon, we’ve reached a now-or-never moment in our history. To meet this crisis, we must channel all of our energies into a national project — one that draws on the resources of every American, from big cities to rural communities, and seizes the tremendous opportunity of a new era of climate action. As big as this crisis is, our ideas and aspirations are big enough to meet it. When I’m president, we will.

First, we’ll set an ambitious goal to transform America into a net-zero emissions society no later than 2050 — and spur the innovation to get us there. Nevada already has the highest number of solar jobs per capita in the nation and ranks second in the U.S. in generating geothermal electricity. Tesla’s gigafactory in Sparks is one of the highest-volume battery plants in the world. In 2016, the Las Vegas city government reached its goal of running entirely on renewables, reducing emissions and saving the city $5 million each year. We can achieve this goal — and we can do it without building new nuclear plants or opening Yucca Mountain.

To build on Nevada’s success, we’ll quadruple R&D investments in advanced wind and solar, battery storage, and carbon capture to $25 billion a year. Many of these investments will be financed by Climate Action Bonds, modeled on World War II war bonds, which will allow every American to own a piece of our clean energy future.

Industrial America — including South Bend and the Studebaker cars we once produced — was built on oil and gas. But just as my community has moved forward, so must our country. So we’ll launch a 21st-century Industrial Revolution, transitioning to electric vehicles and supporting projects like Nevada’s “electric highway” system. And with scientists indicating our soil can absorb as much carbon as the entire global transportation system emits, we’ll put American farmers and ranchers at the center of our climate revolution — inviting rural America to be part of the solution instead of telling them they’re the problem.

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To discourage the pollution that accelerates climate change at home and abroad, we’ll set a price on carbon — and offset the cost to consumers by giving that money back as a dividend to working Americans. Instead of subsidizing harmful fossil fuels, we’ll support communities and workers from Nevada to Appalachia as they transition from coal, oil and gas. By establishing new industries and revitalizing entire regions, we’ll create 3 million new jobs, many of them good union jobs.

Second, my administration will prioritize resilience to climate shocks. That means building green infrastructure that will help Nevada withstand drought and extreme heat. We’ll also establish next-generation regional resilience hubs, supplemented with $5 billion annual grants focused on rural communities. In the face of increasingly severe weather, we’ll streamline disaster assistance and help communities build back better. And we’ll bring young people together in a Climate Corps to help make communities more sustainable through their service work.

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Finally, we’ll rebuild international relationships and ensure that America — not China — leads the world on climate. As growing food and water insecurity increases migration and political unrest from Syria to sub-Saharan Africa, we’ll integrate climate management into every aspect of our national security planning. Retrofitting existing facilities and non-combat vehicles and making new ones zero-emissions, the Department of Defense will lead the way in clean energy.

Just as Gov. Sisolak committed to meeting the Paris Climate Agreement goals despite the current administration’s withdrawal, I was proud to join more than 400 mayors in pledging to uphold that same agreement. When I’m president, the United States won’t just rejoin the Paris accord; we’ll redouble our commitment and encourage other countries to adopt their own price on carbon. And because so much of our global leadership flows from our local communities, in my first 100 days in office we’ll convene a Pittsburgh Summit of regional, state, and local leaders to support locally created solutions.

Nevada has already proven what’s possible when we come together to confront our climate crisis, recently voting to move to a cleaner electricity system and achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050. With a bold national agenda that harnesses the power of every American, the Battle Born State can continue to lead the way to a healthier and more prosperous future for us all.

Pete Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and is running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

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