LTE – Dan Herscher – 4-21-2021
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Pricing Carbon Pollution: A popular policy to save lives this Earth Day
Celebrating Earth Day is a time to consider how to address the related crises of air pollution and climate disruption. One extremely effective policy option is becoming popular, pricing carbon pollution from fossil fuels.
Nationally the U.S. Chamber of Commerce1, the Business Roundtable2, and the American Petroleum Institute3 support market based, economy-wide carbon pricing to address the climate challenge. Over 3,500 U.S. economists agree that a price on carbon pollution is “the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary”4. In the 7th Congressional District 10 municipal governments, 11 businesses, and 10 elected officials/notable individuals support a price on carbon pollution.5
Recently a carbon pricing bill called the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R.2307) was reintroduced with 29 co-sponsors.6
The bill would assess a steadily rising pollution fee on coal, oil, and natural gas producers so their prices will reflect their costs on the environment and human health. This provides a strong incentive for businesses to provide affordable, clean energy.
The revenue from this pollution fee would be distributed equally to every American as monthly “carbon cash-back payments” to spend as they wish. Most low-and-middle-income Americans will come out financially ahead or break even.
Since poor air quality is responsible for as many as 1 in 10 American deaths today, this policy would save lives by reducing pollution Americans breathe. It would also put us on track to reach net-zero carbon pollution by 2050, reducing carbon pollution by 30% in the first 5 years alone.
Celebrate Earth Day by calling Congressman Tiffany at 202-225-3365 and asking him to co-sponsor H.R.2307: The Energy Innovation Act. Given the popularity of putting a price on carbon pollution it should be easy to support.
1 https://www.uschamber.com/climate-change-position
2 https://www.businessroundtable.org/climate
3https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/25/climate-change-american-petroleum-institute-endorses-carbon-pricing.html
4 https://www.econstatement.org/
5 https://energyinnovationact.org/endorser-map/?dist=WI07
6 https://energyinnovationact.org/
Dan Herscher
Birchwood, WI