Sick of high gas prices? Then it's time to talk climate action

Let's start by getting something out of the way: Skyrocketing gas prices are not caused by climate policy.

Yes, California has clamped down on hydraulic fracking, raised the gas tax and required fossil fuel companies to pay for their planet-warming pollution. And yes, President Biden has worked to limit oil and natural gas leasing on federal lands.

But while the petroleum price surge has been caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine — and a continuing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic — it could be a key moment for efforts to fight the climate crisis nationwide.

High gas prices could accelerate the shift to electric cars, slashing emissions while also dealing a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Congress could offer generous financial assistance to make sure that low-income families can afford to go electric and don't get stuck paying for ever-pricier gasoline.

And states could take steps to ensure that electricity — increasingly generated by solar panels and wind turbines — doesn't get so expensive that residents decline to make