This weekend, The Advocate's Editorial Board wrote about Gov. Edwards’ strong, pragmatic leadership on the issue of climate change and transitioning to a new energy economy.

An excerpt is below:

“It was refreshing to see him bring some of that realism across the pond to Glasgow, where world leaders gathered last week for the big UN conference on climate change. Edwards was a visible presence at the event, appearing alongside leaders such as White House climate czar Gina McCarthy and climate envoy John Kerry and sharing the view from an avowedly oil and gas state. 

Aggressive policies to move beyond polluting fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avert further danger to the warming planet can prompt defensiveness and even ridicule in some corners here. But Edwards has been putting a different, pragmatically minded spin on the effort, emphasizing that it gives Louisiana its best shot at remaining an energy state far into the future.

…

“In Louisiana, Edwards’ call to “embrace the transition” isn’t about forcing business’s hand but about keeping up with the changes that are already happening.

“When the world market turns, it turns,” Edwards said on one panel, “and if you want to continue to be a leader in energy, you’re going have to pursue cleaner energy if that’s what the world is wanting to buy and to consume.” 

  • Read the full editorial here.