Richard Anderson: Proud California stepping up to curb carbon emissions

Re “Logic loses in California carbon war” (Opinion, Jan. 5): I am proud of California’s actions in the “somewhat lonely war on climate-changing emissions of carbon dioxide” that Dan Walters’ ridiculed as “toothless and pointless symbolism.”

AB 32 and related legislation have bolstered international efforts to decrease carbon pollution (the European Union’s and Quebec’s carbon Cap and Trade systems) and have also had concrete local effects: fostering roof-top solar in some Modesto businesses, farms and homes; lowering landfill and feedlot methane emissions; improving air quality and more.

We can start 2015 admitting that 2014 was Earth’s recent record warm year (talk to an Australian if one doesn’t believe NASA data!), recognizing that our carbon emissions are harmful, and doing something about it?

Including fuels in California’s cap-and-trade system helps consumers pay for their harmful environmental effects.

An option to the cap-and-trade system is the “Carbon Fee and Dividend.” This system puts a price on carbon emissions, returns cash to Americans equally and allows the free market to reduce impacts.

Lee Balance of Citizen’s Climate Lobby will discuss these topics on Jan. 21, 3-4 p.m., Science 115, MJC West. It’s a free Science Colloquium program. And conserve on your carbon emissions! www.mjc.edu/instruction/sme/colloquium.php.

This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Richard Anderson: Proud California stepping up to curb carbon emissions."