Donald Condon: Time to start a fee-and-dividend program for carbon
Re “Mideast villain: Climate change” (Page B4, Aug. 20): The shocking temperatures and drought conditions in the Middle East certainly explain most of the turmoil in that part of the world; 163 degrees (real feel) is almost unimaginable! Could this be a preview on what is to come in California? Headlines certainly support that possibility, from wildfires to ground subsidence from excessive groundwater extraction.
Sea-level rise will be the next story. When will we truly believe that climate change is upon us? We should start a carbon fee-and-dividend program now before it is too late. This revenue-neutral approach could be quickly implemented, and with the money returned to all households it would actually stimulate the economy. Carbon emissions would be reduced by over 50 percent in 20 years. Governments can bear the costs of mitigation for only so long before systems break, as we are seeing in the Middle East.
Donald Condon, Piedmont
This story was originally published August 21, 2015 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Donald Condon: Time to start a fee-and-dividend program for carbon."