Recent events related to climate change and mitigation signal, to me, hope and plenty of instigation to take action. The 2018 National Climate Assessment (“Climate report warns of worsening diasters,” Daily News, Nov. 24) is the fourth such government report since 2000 and contains dire predictions about the effect of climate change on the U.S. economy, including the cost of extreme weather events, losses to fisheries and crop yields, inundated coastlines and infrastructure damage.
Frightening predictions, but it is encouraging because of the support and media attention the report received (despite denial of findings from the White House). Public awareness and concern about the issue is growing, according to a poll conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. In August 2018, the program estimated 70 percent of adults think global warming is already harming people in the U.S. now or will within 10 years.
On Nov. 27, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 7173) was introduced in the House by Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) and John Delaney (D-Md.). Climate change legislation has been introduced before, but this time there is bipartisan support to put a fee on carbon in order to reduce emissions and return the fee money in equal shares to American households. The plan is very similar to the strategy Citizens’ Climate Lobby (and the local Palouse Chapter) has been promoting for years.
You can take action to influence Congress on this opportunity. Thank the bill sponsors, contact your members of Congress to tell them to support the legislation, and promote the bill on social media. If the bill doesn’t proceed in this lame-duck Congress, it is sure to be introduced again in the next Congressional session.
Marilyn Von Seggern
Pullman
