Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., recently made a strong case for adopting a carbon fee. He argued that “when necessity demands, politics adapts,” explaining that we are on a course to destroy humanity on this planet unless a carbon fee is adopted.

Sen. Whitehouse explains 2025 will be a big year for tax policy because the Trump tax cuts expire. The Hamilton Project has analyzed seven approaches to the tax code in 2025 and their climate effects. These include: continuing the status quo, repealing or expanding the Inflation Reduction Act (the biggest environmental bill ever in the U.S.), instituting a carbon fee, and a few other variations. It’s clear in an analysis of these approaches that a carbon fee wins. All plans result in the yearly fuel price for American homes in 2035 of about $3,800, varying insignificantly. Some plans increase the national debt, but a carbon fee lowers it slightly.

A slowly increasing carbon fee will also be the most efficient approach; it will cost less to transition to renewables because it is transparent, and since markets can understand it, they can adapt efficiently. Most importantly, the carbon fee will result in by far the most significant decrease in CO2 emissions. It is the only plan that allows the U.S. to meet the current goal of 50% decrease in CO2 by 2030.

Those who avoid thinking about climate change because it seems unsolvable should think again. Western Europe and Canada have proved carbon fees work. Call our legislators and ask them to pass a carbon fee now.

Nancy Hasenfus
Brunswick

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