Let's stand in solidarity with the legislative call to institute a carbon fee, or price on carbon.
The NY Times reports Senator Wyden has been tasked with crafting carbon fee legislation, which is an encouraging sign that some kind of carbon tax will be included in upcoming legislation.
A carbon tax is a market driven means to “internalize” the cost of the carbon effluence, the ‘externality,’ in the cost of the product or service. Though it may make the polluter pay for the cost of carbon emissions, it is still the consumer that will bear the weight of the fee.
Progressive groups have opposed a carbon fee on grounds the financial impact will be most sorely felt by the low and moderate income strata of society.
Senator Wyden will have to navigate demands from President Biden to not raise taxes on families earning under $400,000.00, so in the final legislation a carbon fee may include a ‘dividend’ payment to offset the increased costs of fossil fuel based goods.
We need action now; send email messages to Senators Wyden and Merkely, and your representatives to support a Carbon Fee; I also call for economic equity to the LMI community.
Greens support a Carbon Fee with protections to the LMI sector of society. Perhaps this is the time for Congress to include a Living Wage based on local price indexes as a way to create equity.
Conservatives support a carbon tax but with strings attached. They would seek indemnification to fossil fuel companies from tort claims for not curbing carbon pollution and causing global warming damage. Reparations should be paid by the biggest polluters, but that is a fight for another day.
The PGP should support the work of The Citizens’ Climate Lobby; it is active in Oregon pressing Oregonians to support a Carbon Fee. Indicating solidarity with the CCL campaign, PGP members can support intersectionality in the climate justice movement.
https://citizensclimatelobby.org/
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/email-ron
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
