What science could teach Ocasio-Cortez about climate change

We need to get smarter. Climate change is a problem but not the end of the world. The United States now has little or no federal climate policy, which is inexcusable. But almost every other nation is making climate proclamations that would impose huge costs for rather paltry gains.

This approach has failed to ­deliver progress against climate change for decades. We should ­instead embrace ingenuity and ­innovation and spend far more on green-energy research and development. If we push the price of green energy below fossil fuels through innovation, everyone will switch.

If Ocasio-Cortez had stuck to the facts, she would have said: “The world is going to see costs worth about 1 percent of GDP in 50 years if we don’t address climate change — and your biggest issue is how to pay for it?” Well, yes: We need to make sure our solution doesn’t cost more than the problem. If we look at the science and stop believing the end of the world is nigh, our decisions will be much smarter.