Moore: Greenhouse effect is real, and a price on carbon could help fix it (column)
Valley Voices
When, in the course of earthly events, it becomes necessary for us to meet the challenges of the ever-changing circumstances of our lives, we Americans have shown, time after time, that we are more than capable of doing so.
Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, from both natural and man-made sources, are entering the atmosphere of our world on a daily basis. Consequently, our global temperature is rising. If this is a goal that we aspire to, then we are succeeding magnificently at it.
If, however, we wish to help the earth maintain the climate and seasons that we have come to love (and prosper from), then we should consider doing something to reduce the effect that our man-made sources of carbon dioxide are having on them.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, speaking at a climate change conference on Sept. 19, 2017, stated, “I’m a Republican. I believe that the greenhouse effect is real, that carbon dioxide emissions generated by man are creating a greenhouse-gas effect that traps heat, and the planet is warming. A price on carbon — that’s the way to go, in my view.”
This view is echoed by many members of our government, major corporations and people all around the world who see this situation for the impending crisis that it is. Members of our government include the Climate Solutions Caucus, which is a growing bipartisan group, currently with 68 members in the U.S. House of Representatives, that is exploring policy options addressing the impacts, causes and challenges of our changing climate.
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A non-partisan organization, the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, has taken the solution endorsed by Sen. Graham one step further. In addition to putting a tax or fee on carbon emissions, the Lobby proposes that the funds generated from the collected fee be distributed evenly to the households of our nation. This will be done so that the money is available for people to spend on other, less environmentally costly sources of energy, should they so desire.
This “carbon fee and dividend” will be based on an estimate of the hidden costs (e.g., increasing numbers of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires; poor air quality; deforestation due to increased pine beetle infestation; less cold weather for hockey, skiing, snowboarding and sledding, etc.) of continuing to use “cheap,” carbon-based fuels.
At the same time, according to a study performed by a company called Regional Economic Modeling Inc., this process will boost the economies of nearly all of the various economic regions of our nation, while bringing carbon emission levels back down to “normal” by mid-century.
A lot of people have put their heads together to come up with a workable solution to this problem of increasing levels of carbon emissions in our atmosphere. They need our support.
If you are a person who has a stake in maintaining our enjoyable climate, then please, visit the Citizens’ Climate Lobby website at citizensclimatelobby.org and join the growing number of people who also see that they have a stake in this effort.
Together, we can make a difference. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again. Thank you for listening.
Arlan Moore is a resident of McCoy.
