Support carbon fee for environment and jobs

By dismantling Obama’s Clean Power Plan, President Donald Trump claims he is going to bring back jobs and make “America wealthy again” (“Trump ends ‘war on coal’,” March 29).

This has no basis in fact. Investing in clean energy produces 2.5 to 9.5 times more jobs than investing in fossil fuels. The green economy already supports far more jobs than the fossil fuel economy. In Massachusetts alone, clean energy will add 100,000 jobs in manufacturing and construction in the next 10 years.

To accelerate the switch to a green economy, two bills are in the state legislature that would put a price on carbon pollution, one sponsored by Sen. Michael Barrett and one sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Benson. This carbon fee, placed on coal, gasoline, and natural gas when it comes into the state, would then be redistributed back to the residents of Massachusetts to mitigate the rise in prices. Most people would come out ahead with this rebate. All would have the incentive to live with less fossil fuels.

On the national level, Citizens’ Climate Lobby has been advocating in Congress for a carbon fee and dividend program. The fee could be put on the fuel right where it comes out of the ground or off a ship, and would be distributed in equal shares (half shares to children) to all Americans. Tariffs would be placed on incoming goods from countries without a similar carbon fee; outgoing goods from this country would receive a rebate so goods can be sold competitively overseas. This proposal would add 2.1 million jobs to the US economy in the next 10 years and 2.8 million after 20 years.

Tell your representatives on both the state and national levels to support putting a price on carbon — for the environment and jobs.

Mark D. Hart

Amherst

]]>