As a mother, I have spent hours — probably years at this point — thinking through “what ifs” and trying to prepare for what might happen. An extra pair of gloves, change of clothes, and band-aids certainly added to my peace of mind.
My children are grown, and now I live on a little piece of land next to the sea. The waves are lapping the rocks maybe 20 feet below me. I find myself thinking more and more of the “what ifs” of climate change looking for peace of mind. In the last month, I found an organization called Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL).
And I am hopeful.
Wherever you come down on the “what ifs” of climate change, this organization is trying to pass, at the federal level, solutions that are very doable and cost neutral. In a nutshell, they are proposing three things.
1. Companies that refine fossil fuels will pay a fee of $15/ton going up $10/ton every year — effectively reducing the use of fossil fuels (approximate reduction of 33 percent in 10 years.)
2. All those monies collected, minus about 7 percent at first decreasing to 2 percent for administrative costs, would be passed back to every American household monthly as a dividend, almost like a PFD payment each month.
3. Companies selling to Americans but refining fossil fuels in other less regulated countries will also pay a tariff. This fee would “even the playing field “ on consumer prices for fossil fuels and also help keep jobs here.
I was never sorry I had that change of clothes for my children’s “what ifs.”
I know I won’t be sorry for exploring CCL and solutions for the “what ifs” of our collective future in regard to climate change.
I just joined this organization at www.citizensclimatelobby.org.
Here’s to as many happy “what ifs” as we can muster.
We are all in this together.
Beth Kindig,
Sitka