Nat Simons

Risks and Rewards: Accelerating Climate Change Solutions

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Gina McCarthy, Nat Simons, John Kasich, Sheldon Whitehouse, Alex Witt

Moderated by Alex Witt, a bipartisan panel including Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and former Governor John Kasich identified the $600 billion annual fossil fuel subsidy as the primary barrier to climate action while advocating for carbon pricing and the elimination of such subsidies to force market correction. Despite audience sentiment favoring the private sector, speakers emphasized that systemic government intervention is necessary to address health inequities, counter industry-funded misinformation, and achieve the emission reductions required within the next decade. The discussion concluded by calling for a "World War II-level mobilization" driven by media accountability and public pressure to restore bipartisan cooperation on practical environmental solutions.