Climate Change: Global temps set another record

Re: “Earth sets hottest year record for third straight time” (TNT, 1/19).

Of the 10 top industrial economies in the world, only two – the United States and Russia – do not have either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system to combat the perils of increasing greenhouse gases. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientist are convinced that human-caused global warming is occurring. Per the article,”Temperatures are heading toward levels that many experts believe will pose a profound threat to the natural world & to human civilization.”

Citizen’s Climate Lobby, an international non-partisan grassroots organization proposes a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend program which studies show would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 52 percent below 1990 levels within 20 years. In 2008, British Columbia introduced a similar program which has reduced carbon emissions; last year, all of Canada adopted a similar measure.

With a new president who considers climate change a “hoax,” a view shared by others in his Cabinet, it is time that we citizens create the political will to legislate a revenue-neutral price on carbon.

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 8:22 AM with the headline "Climate Change: Global temps set another record."