Using the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy as a hook, New Jersey recently joined a growing list of states and localities that are suing energy companies for climate-related damages. Pushed by activists to do something, these politicians choose to make headlines with dubious legal arguments rather than focusing on real solutions that address the serious issue of climate change.

New Jersey claims that the companies deceived the public about the impacts of climate change and therefore should be on the hook for costs associated with rising temperatures. At the press conference announcing the lawsuit, Attorney General Matthew Platkin noted that “today we begin to right the wrongs inflicted on our residents.” Among other demands, New Jersey asks for the companies “to stop their lying.” 

ConservAmerica recently joined 32 other organizations in sending a letter to U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging the administration to support the development and expansion of organized wholesale electricity markets as a market-based approach to supporting the clean energy transition and lowering prices for consumers.

Regions across the country are embracing the concept of organized wholesale electricity markets for their ability to boost grid reliability, encourage energy savings, reduce energy costs for consumers big and small, and accelerate decarbonization and the integration of renewable energy into the power grid.

The latest annual poll by the Conservative Energy Network (CEN) found that voters overwhelmingly back candidates who support clean energy, and a majority support Republicans’ efforts on energy policy.

CEN, a coalition of 24 state-based conservative clean energy organizations, released the results of their seventh annual national survey earlier this month.

The survey asked 1,000 registered voters across the nation their views on clean energy, competition, and related energy policy issues. The results show that candidates for public office should care about energy and climate change.

With the midterm elections upon us, it’s no surprise that politicians have been trying to show voters that they are doing whatever they can to lower prices at the pump. Last Monday, President Biden warned oil companies that they could face higher taxes and “other restrictions.” The president didn’t provide any more details, but his comment follows a recent Bloomberg report that the White House had asked the Energy Department to analyze the impact of an export ban on gasoline, diesel and other refined petroleum products. 

Let’s hope this is just political posturing. An export ban is a bad idea that would hurt American consumers as well as our allies around the world.

Here’s why.

As consumers, we are increasingly aware that many of the conveniences we enjoy come with environmental consequences. There may be no greater convenience than the single-use containers made of plastic, metal, and glass that we use numerous times a day. 

Americans buy billions of plastic bottles and aluminum and steel cans each year, many of which end up in landfills or, worse, as litter, even though they are fully recyclable. 

As good stewards of the environment, it's our responsibility to minimize the impacts of plastics and other modern amenities that make our lives easier and safer. Doing so does not mean we must renounce those conveniences, though.