There’s good news on climate you won’t read elsewhere:
The Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends outlines a plan for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by pricing carbon fuels, returning the proceeds equitably to every household. More than 3,500 U.S. economists have signed it.
There are now no fewer than seven carbon-pricing bills being considered in the House. Four are bipartisan. The first and favorite is HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, with 75 co-sponsors.
An independent study by Columbia University showed that, by enacting HR 763 soon, current U.S. commitments to the Paris Agreement will be exceeded by 2030.
We are not alone. Eighty percent of U.S. imports are from countries already with carbon pricing.
In the Senate, Angus King co-founded the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. Sen. Susan Collins is working on other climate change bills, including the BEST Act, to focus on energy storage research, so necessary for solar and wind electricity generation.
Republican members of Congress are showing interest. This follows a survey by conservative pollster Frank Luntz showing that 75 percent of Republican voters under 40 want climate action in Congress.
At the climate conference in Madrid, the U.N. secretary-general said that the world only lacks the political will to mitigate climate change.
What can you do to build political will in Congress? Log on here: citizensclimatelobby.org/write-your-representative/#/48 to find your representative, together with appropriate wording for a letter from you. No stamps or envelopes to lick. Do it now. It’s that easy. Your effort makes a difference.
Peter Garrett
Winslow
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