Good environmental policies lead to sound economies, RIMS Canada Conference told

Good environmental policy is identical to good economic policy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told delegates attending the 33rd Annual Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) Canada Conference in Toronto.He suggested de-carbonizing a society quickly would lead to greater efficiency, more innovation and increased opportunity for entrepreneurship, rather than cause economic difficulties as many sceptics suggest.”Today we don’t have to abolish carbon to understand that our deadly addiction to it is the principle drag on capitalism across North America and the rest of the world,” Kennedy said.”We know that the nations that have succeeded in de-carbonizing their societies have experienced instantaneous prosperity.”He pointed to Iceland as an example. It was the poorest country in Europe in 1970, Kennedy noted. At that time, it was 100% dependent on imported oil. Since Iceland was one of the first nations to feel the impact of global warming (because of its geographical position), the government opted to de-carbonize the society. “They were met with voices of caution [concerned about the economic impact], but they went ahead and did it very fast,” Kennedy said.Today, he went on to say, Iceland gets 90% of its energy from geothermal sources and is 100% energy independent. “It is the fourth-richest country by GDP on the face of the earth today,” he observed.