People my age will remember the old Fram oil commercial in which a mechanic told the audience they would have to pay him now or later. Climate change is a lot like that; the bills are already coming due, but will get much worse in the future. If we don’t invest in green energy today, the remedial costs will be incalculable.
The GOP can’t bring itself to accept this trade-off, partly for ideological reasons, and partly out of short term self-interest. They could embrace a carbon tax with offsets, avoid any other interference in the market, and reasonably claim to be responsible. Instead, they are going to pay the electoral price in the longer run, and more severe intrusions into personal freedom will be required to address the inevitable disruptions caused by rising temperatures.