Speed v Justice: The Climate Minute

One issue in the ongoing transition to a clean energy economy will be balancing speed and justice. A possible example of this balancing act could be in the rapid construction of green infrastructure-for example ‘bullet trains’ or solar farms- on Federal "rights-of-way" on the interstate highway system. This sounds like a no-brainer because it avoids many of the usual siting issues associated with NIMBY-ism. Unfortunately, the simplicity vanishes when we consider the historical injustice of the placement of those highways back in the 1950's and '60s. We should not compound that injustice by imposing new burdens on those communities. How to resolve this conundrum? It is good to give early consideration to this future question in order to ensure both the justice and speed we need.