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:
- 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.
- An Important Bill in Congress:
- HR2307 is the “Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act”.
- This bill will impose a fee on carbon extraction and give the revenue back to U.S. Citizens.
- HR 2307 currently has 95 Congressional Cosponsors and counting.
- Including our own Jared Huffman.
“A key lesson from the past is that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is highly sensitive to even relatively modest warming scenarios... "
Uh oh.
We're in a #ClimateCrisis and people are still buying beach homes.
It's time for a #carbontax!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/08/10/east-antarctic-ice-sheet-melting-climate-change/
"By altering the temperature difference between the North Pole and the Equator, the warming Arctic appears to have affected storm tracks and wind speed in North America."
It's a #ClimateCrisis and our collective reaction is too slow.
#climatechange
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/11/climate/arctic-global-warming.html
"Scientific studies at Elkhorn Slough in Monterey County show that estuaries like the San Francisco Bay-Delta and Drakes Estero offer room for sea otter population expansion."
#marincounty
https://www.marinij.com/2022/08/10/marin-voice-benefits-of-sea-otter-reintroduction-make-sense/
Upcoming Events:
Our Next Monthly Chapter Meeting: August 13th at 9:00am
Each month we meet to discuss the current status of a climate change policies and specific steps we can take to encourage the reduction in CO2 emissions.
The Monthly National Call August 13th at 10:00am.
Each month, Citizens’ Climate Lobby members from all chapters gather locally for a monthly meeting where we educate ourselves by listening to a guest speaker.
Bob Inglis, republicEn, and Princella Talley, OpEd Project
Expanding our outreach to include people from a variety of constituencies can strengthen our organization and improve our effectiveness as advocates.
This month, we talk with Bob Inglis and Princella Talley about how they communicate with diverse audiences about climate change.
Bob is a former Republican Congressman from South Carolina, and is now the Executive Director of republicEn, an organization empowering conservatives to advocate for market-based solutions to climate change.
Princella is a Fellow at Large with the OpEd Project whose writing has been featured in numerous publications throughout the country. She previously worked for Citizens’ Climate Education as a Development Coordinator and Diversity Outreach Coordinator.
The Zoom link for the National Call: http://cclusa.org/meeting
If you missed the June CCL Conference, it is all available online:
June 2022 Conference Archives:
- June 2022 Virtual Conference YouTube Playlist (check description field of videos for additional links)
- June 2022 Virtual Conference Presentations (Google Drive)
For example, here is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse:
About Citizens’ Climate Lobby in a Short 2 Minute Video:
White Papers and Articles that can help you better understand Carbon Fee and Dividend:
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:
- 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?
Marin organizations who have endorsed HR 2307, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act currently in Congress:
- 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
- 42 members of the Progressive Caucus
- 14 members of the Congressional Black Caucus
- 13 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- 29 members of the Congressional Asian American Caucus
Support for this legislation continues to grow.
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 Dianne Feinstein here
Contact Senator Alex Padilla here
Contact our Representative Jared Huffman here
Learn about the Energy Innovation and Climate Dividend Act and what you can do TODAY to support this important House bill.