When it comes to acknowledging the human impact on climate change or even that climate change exists there have been many proclaimed climate change deniers. Quite often these deniers are conservative Republicans, so there is good news when blocks of Republicans gather to acknowledge climate change.
US House of Representatives
A group of 11 Republican Congressmen, led by Rep Chris Gibson (R-NY) have created House Resolution 424, which they are hoping will find more partisan support before it is rolled out for all members of Congress to support. Citizen’s Climate Lobby is asking the public who have Republican representation provide constituent support in the effort.
The resolution states:
“If left unaddressed, the consequences of a changing climate have the potential to adversely impact all Americans.” And concludes that the House should commit to “working constructively, using our tradition of American ingenuity, innovation, and exceptionalism, to create and support economically viable, and broadly supported private and public solutions to study and address the causes and effects of measured changes to our global and regional climates, including mitigation efforts and efforts to balance human activities that have been found to have an impact.”
The Gibson resolution is an important step toward getting Congress engaged on climate change and focused on workable solutions.
US Senate
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced the “formation of a Senate Energy and Environment Working Group that will focus on ways we can protect our environment and climate while also bolstering clean energy innovation that helps drive job creation.”
Citizen’s Climate Lobby is working to bolster support from Senators into SEEWG.
“With the Gibson resolution in the House and now the working group in the Senate, we’re seeing that Republicans want a seat at the table on climate solutions,” said CCL Executive Director Mark Reynolds. “The conservative approach they can bring to the discussion is a fee on carbon with revenue returned to households.”
This approach, known as Carbon Fee and Dividend, has been championed by George Shultz, former Secretary of State under President Reagan. Shultz calls it an “insurance policy” against climate change.
Understanding A Carbon Tax
The above video is from www.CarbonTax.org, which includes reference to Fee and Dividend as a manner of implementation.
The Findings Behind Fee & Dividend As A Carbon Tax:
- Causation: Whereas the weight of scientific evidence indicates that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities including the burning of fossil fuels and other sources are causing rising global
temperatures, - Mitigation (Return to 350 ppm or below): Whereas the weight of scientific evidence also indicates that a return from the current concentration of more than 400 parts per million (“ppm”) of carbon dioxide (“CO2”) in the atmosphere to 350 ppm CO2 or less is necessary to slow or stop the rise in global temperatures,
- Endangerment: Whereas further increases in global temperatures pose imminent and substantial dangers to human health, the natural environment, the economy, national security, and an unacceptable risk of catastrophic impacts to human civilization,
- Co-Benefits: Whereas the measures proposed in this legislation will benefit the economy, human health, the environment, and national security, even without consideration of global temperatures, as a result of correcting market distortions, reductions in non-greenhouse-gas pollutants, reducing the outflow of dollars to oil-producing countries and improvements in the energy security of the United States,
- Benefits of Carbon Fees: Whereas phased-in carbon fees on greenhouse gas emissions (1) are the most efficient, transparent, and enforceable mechanism to drive an effective and fair transition to a domestic-energy economy, (2) will stimulate investment in alternative-energy technologies, and (3) give all businesses powerful incentives to increase their energy-efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints in order to remain competitive,
- Equal Monthly Per-Person Dividends: Whereas equal monthly dividends (or “rebates”) from carbon fees paid to every American household can help ensure that families and individuals can afford the energy they need during the transition to a greenhouse gas-free economy and the dividends will stimulate the economy,
What Fee And Dividend Legislation Will Do:
- Collection of Carbon Fees/Carbon Fee Trust Fund: Upon enactment, impose a carbon fee on all fossil fuels and other greenhouse gases at the point where they first enter the economy. The fee shall be collected by the Treasury Department. The fee on that date shall be $15 per ton of CO2 equivalent emissions and result in equal charges for each ton of CO2 equivalent emissions potential in each type of fuel or greenhouse gas. The Department of Energy shall propose and promulgate regulations setting forth CO2 equivalent fees for other greenhouse gases including at a minimum methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons, and nitrogen trifluoride. The Treasury shall also collect the fees imposed upon the other greenhouse gases. All fees are to be placed in the Carbon Fees Trust Fund and be rebated 100% to American households as outlined below.
- Emissions Reduction Targets: To align US emissions with the physical constraints identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to avoid irreversible climate change, the yearly increase in carbon fees including other greenhouse gases, shall be at least $10 per ton of CO2 equivalent each year. Annually, the Department of Energy shall determine whether an increase larger
than $10 per ton per year is needed to achieve program goals. Yearly price increases of at least $10 per year shall continue until total U.S. CO2-equivalent emissions have been reduced to 10% of U.S. CO2-equivalent emissions in 1990. - Equal Per-Person Monthly Dividend Payments: Equal monthly per-person dividend payments shall be made to all American households (½ payment per child under 18 years old, with a limit of 2 children per family) each month. The total value of all monthly dividend payments shall represent 100% of the total carbon fees collected per month.
- Border Adjustments: In order to ensure there is no domestic or international incentive to relocate production of goods or services to regimes more permissive of greenhouse gas emissions, and thus encourage lower global emissions, Carbon-Fee-Equivalent Tariffs shall be charged for goods entering the U.S. from countries without comparable Carbon Fees/Carbon Pricing. Carbon-Fee-Equivalent Rebates shall be used to reduce the price of exports to such countries. The State Department will determine rebate amounts and exemptions if any.
Get to know more about Carbon Fee and Dividend on the CLL website. Join one of the local chapters of CLL and be involved.
