Environment: Carbon tax would cause positive change

Re: “52 demonstrators arrested in climate-change protest,” (TNT, 5/16).

One good thing about the arrests is the public attention to the environmental damage and global warming that burning fossil fuels cause.

Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists are convinced, based on the evidence, that human-caused global warming is happening. With an average of ten $1 billion-dollar catastrophes (drought, flooding, fires, etc.) in the last three years, we can’t afford to ignore climate change.

The Citizens Climate Lobby endorses a revenue-neutral carbon tax, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions 52 percent below 1990 levels within 20 years, studies show, while growing the economy and saving lives.

In 2008, British Columbia implemented a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Since then, B.C’s economy has outpaced the rest of Canada by a small amount, and its carbon emissions have decreased.

We need to call/email Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and our U.S representatives and ask them to support carbon fee and dividend legislation.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Environment: Carbon tax would cause positive change."