We all are coming to believe that our climate is changing. Our big decision is what to do about it.
We know we have to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal and tidal. Our big decision is how we achieve this quickly.
We acknowledge that CO2 concentrations in our atmosphere are rising. Our big decision is how we reverse this trend.
There’s a simple, straightforward way to cut carbon emissions and prevent the most disastrous effects of climate change — and we’re rejecting it because of irrational political fears.
The solution to all three of our big decisions is a carbon fee and dividend — a tax on the fuels that produce greenhouse gases and a monthly cheque to cover a family’s extra costs.
When the economic, social, administrative, and political merits of the various ways to drive down carbon emissions are weighed, the carbon fee and dividend is the most effective policy. It is not the perfect or only solution, but unlike the alternatives — cap and trade; command and control regulation; government subsidies of alternative energy — it can be implemented immediately and paired effectively with other approaches.
We just need to tell our government to implement it immediately. Do it today and you’ll guarantee a better future.
Michael Jessen, Longbeach