The United States has been the world's leader in innovation, and the economic prosperity it brings, for almost a century. Why then are we suddenly the laggards, not the leaders? The future belongs to those prepared to embrace change. Fossil fuels have served us well, but it is more than time to embrace the clean energy sources that will ultimately make energy so abundantly available it will practically be free.
Consider this fact: More than 373,000 Americans worked in solar energy last year, compared with 160,000 in the coal industry, including 54,000 coal miners.
Or this: There is a booming $7 trillion global clean energy market that's putting Americans to work around the country.
Do you want Colorado to be part of that boom? Or do you want all that innovation and work to go to China?
Citizen's Climate Lobby is promoting a "carbon fee and dividend," proposal that both Republicans and Democrats can support.
The idea is to levy a steadily rising fee on fossil fuels, with the revenue returned to consumers. Returning revenue to households will shield families from the impact of rising energy costs associated with the fee while sending a strong price signal to the marketplace to speed up the already-happening transition to a clean-energy economy. To protect American businesses, a border adjustment tariff would be applied to imports from nations that do not have an equivalent price on carbon, providing a strong incentive for countries to follow our lead with a similar policy.
Please encourage our members of Congress (Rep. Scott Tipton and Sen. Cory Gardner) to look into the economic effects of a carbon fee and dividend. It's a free-market solution that will address climate change.
Deborah E. Lycan
Durango
