Reflections from Climate Change Interview with Gina McCarthy

The most surprising piece of information I learned in the interview with Gina McCarthy is how the automobile industry has been aware of climate change and their role in it for a long time but hasn’t enacted a change. The industry has eleven years to make changes in their models, but they do not want to accelerate this timeframe so they refuse to be regulated by the government. They also believe that electric cars are not what customers would want to buy, so they do not want to make these models. However, customers would buy them if they knew they existed, and with enough quantities, the industry can lower the prices that people will actually purchase them. Thus, we as consumers must send strong signals to businesses about the impacts of climate change in the near future and where we are heading now, and that we are willing to buy these sustainable cars with renewable energy. Then, the businesses would be motivated to make a change and maintain profits by creating electric cars.

If given the opportunity to conduct the interview, I would have asked Gina McCarthy to give us more specifics on the science of climate change and where we are currently heading. As she mentioned that the younger generation has the power to demand the government for change, but that our stance has to be backed by credible scientific information. I would love to know where she believes we might be able to get this information and how to ensure that they are credible and convincing enough for the government to take action.