The fear that cutting emissions would be a “job killer” is unwarranted. Here’s the plan: A revenue-neutral carbon pollution fee paid by fossil fuels would be rebated directly to consumers, a monthly check in the mail, about $400 per family. The carbon fee increases annually, making fossil fuels more and more expensive than solar and wind energy. People naturally choose to switch to cheaper clean energy. The market, not government regulations, makes the transition to renewable energy. Most people come out ahead or at least break even, especially low-income and middle-class households. Addressing climate change doesn’t have to hurt the average consumer. A carbon fee would also be placed on imports from countries like China, depending on how high their CO2 emissions are, forcing them to go green to compete. Americans would get that money, too, and could buy U.S. products with it. This plan is a win-win, supported by most economists, Republicans and Democrats, including eight Nobel Prize winners.

The Citizens Climate Lobby website has more information on it. The key is getting Congress to pass it soon. The IPCC reports tell us we have just a 15-year window to make dramatic carbon-emissions reductions in order to avoid “catastrophic” climate change. The longer we delay action, the more climate disasters will cost us. Eventually, business-usual could mean climate change disasters would overwhelm us, causing the costs to spiral out of control. The solution is swift and decisive action by Congress.

Peter Kuntz

Northglenn