The Marin Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby supports all effective and socially just efforts to draw down CO2 emissions and reverse climate change. Our strongest advocacy is for a national, annually escalating carbon fee and dividend.
This policy will help enable and accelerate the development of renewable carbon-free technologies.
The Marin Chapter meets each month (currently on-line) to discuss the economics of carbon fee and dividend and the current political climate for legislation. Our chapter president is Peter Joseph and our Steering Committee includes knowledgeable journalists, economists, energy professionals, community organizers, and others from Marin County.
Check out our most recent Newsletter!
An Overview of Carbon Fee and Dividend:
- Place a steadily rising fee on the carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution from fossil fuels:
- Collect carbon fees (taxes) from the fossil fuel industry for the extraction and import of oil, gas, coal.
- Start the fee at $15/metric ton of CO2- equivalent emissions of fossil fuels, escalating by $10/metric ton each year.
- Return 100% of the net fees directly to households as a monthly dividend:
- About two-thirds of Americans will receive more in dividends than they will pay in higher prices caused the portion of the fee that the fossil fuel companies elect to pass along.
- The monthly household dividend will inject billions into the economy, protect family budgets, free households to make independent choices about their energy usage, spur innovation, and build aggregate demand for low-carbon products at the consumer level.
- Impose a border carbon adjustment (BCA) on commodity imports from countries that lack a meaningful carbon price. This levels the playing field between the US and trading partners:
- The BCA will (1) discourage US businesses from relocating where they can emit more CO2 and (2) motivate other countries to adopt similar carbon pricing policies.
Carbon Pricing: Why We Need It, How It’s Working, and How to Build Support (Jonathan Marshall, 2nd Edition, January 2025)
New for 2025, from Jonathan Marshall.
To better understand WHY a price on carbon is imperative in fighting global climate change…
Read this:
Carbon Pricing Book 2d edition – Marshall
Upcoming Events:
Hello neighbors and everyone concerned about our rapidly changing climate. This year we need to be more active than ever! Please join our chapter meetings each month where we discuss the economics of a carbon fee and dividend at the national level. At the California State level, we are encouraging our Governor, Assembly and Senate to establish the infrastructure to support a state-wide migration off of fossil fuels and toward an all renewable electric environment.
At these meetings, we also plan for various events during the year to educate others on the facts on climate change and how a carbon fee and dividend can supercharge all other efforts. We also have a continuing effort to lobby Congress climate change solutions.
These meetings are also a great opportunity to ask questions and learn how we can quickly slow down and reverse climate change for the next generation.
Saturday March 8th:
First, at 10:00 AM, join CCL National from D.C. at the Conservative Conference here.
CCL’s VP of Government Affairs, its Conservative Action Team Director, and CCL’s Liaison Program Manager will share key takeaways from CCL’s Conservative Conference.
They’ll provide an inside look at who they met with on Capitol Hill, the focus of their asks and what they learned from those conversations. Most importantly, they’ll explore how these insights can help build momentum in our districts and states. Considering what’s going on, it should be very interesting.
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Then, at 11 AM, join Marin and Sonoma on Zoom or in person at
Sonoma Clean Power Customer Care Center, 741 4th St, Santa Rosa
Doors open 9:30 for coffee, tea & snacks
Oceanographer Dr. Tessa Hill, professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at U.C. Davis, will share a story from her recent book, At Every Depth, then talk about policy opportunities.
Dr. Hill’s research interests include climate change, both past and present, and understanding the response of marine species to environmental perturbation. She is part of the Bodega Ocean Acidification Research (BOAR) group at Bodega Marine Laboratory, which aims to understand the impact of ocean acidification on native species.
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Did You Miss the Fall 2024 Conference?
See the 2024 Fall Conference opening remarks by Rachel Kerestes available here:
About Citizens’ Climate Lobby in a Short 2 Minute Video:
White Papers and Articles that can help you better understand Carbon Fee and Dividend:
Carbon Pricing: Why We Need It, How It’s Working, and How to Build Support (Jonathan Marshall, 2nd Edition, January 2025)
New for 2025, from Jonathan Marshall. Understand WHY a price on carbon is imperative in fighting global climate change!
Carbon Pricing Book 2d edition – Marshall
Written testimony to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee following its March 23, 2022 hearing on Promoting American Energy Security by Facilitating Investments and Innovation in Climate Solutions.
“Prosperous Sweden, which first introduced carbon taxes in 1990, today emits only a third as much carbon dioxide per dollar of gross domestic product as the United States.”
“Three pending climate bills would achieve Biden’s bold climate targets, satisfy budget reconciliation criteria, and meet the all-important political criterion of achieving public support.”
“While a steadily rising fee on fossil fuel pollution helps deliver swift and meaningful environmental justice, the dividend delivers a remarkable measure of economic justice.”
“Here’s a way to manage both fossil fuel lobbying power and the economic impact of a rapid reduction in fossil fuel use: get the fossil fuel companies to PAY individuals to stop using their products.”
(Click Here for an archive of White Papers and other published articles and letters.)
Locally Published Newspaper Opinions and Letters:
- Marin IJ Voice (Jonathan Marshall and Ray Welsh)
PG&E’s electricity rate reform is needed to move forward)
May 6, 2023
- S.F. Chronicle Opinion (Ray Welsh)
How Newsom’s $400 California gas rebate idea can be scaled up to fight climate change April 23, 2022
- Letter: Marin IJ:
Carbon fee works better than cap-and-trade February 26, 2022
Letter: Marin IJ: Cap-and-trade program failing to make difference February 24, 2022
- Marin Voice: An essential first step to reduce carbon pollution July 2020
Who Supports Carbon Fee and Dividend in Marin?
Several Marin organizations have endorsed previous congressional bills supporting and carbon fee and dividend. They include:
- Marin Board of Supervisors
- College of Marin Board of Trustees
- Canal Alliance
- MCE (Marin Clean Energy)
- SolarCraft
- Turning Green
- Indivisible Marin
- Mike’s Bikes
- Marin County Bicycle Coalition
- Good Earth Natural Foods
- KW Botanicals
- Jayli
- EcoRing
- Crook Beales Design
- Simple Solar
Take Action Right Now:
Join CCL Today
Join Citizens’ Climate Lobby to stay up-to-date on events and information regarding climate action. This is also a great way to connect with the community.
- Be sure to check out this page on the CCL Community website:
https://community.citizensclimate.org/new-volunteer. This is an excellent page to find out more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s focus, methods, and values.
- You can also sign up for an information session and learn more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby and how you can make a difference – it covers the basics about our approach and our preferred solution. Get your questions answered live!
- If you want to become more involved LOCALLY here in Marin, take this brief questionnaire that can provide areas where you can contribute and make of difference:
Write to Congress
Contact Senator Adam Shiff here
Contact Senator Alex Padilla here
Contact our Representative Jared Huffman here