Opinion: Putting a price on carbon

We participated in the recent climate strike and were moved and inspired by the large crew of South Tahoe High students that hiked the four miles from the High School to Lake View Commons with a clear and unified demand for climate action. It is also encouraging to live in a City that has resolved to transition the City’s entire electrical grid to clean energy by 2032, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below baseline by 2040. While the City’s 100% Renewable Committee, Liberty Utilities, and others around the basin work to ensure the City’s resolution is implemented, there is another action the City can take in solidarity with other municipalities around the United States: pass a resolution supporting comprehensive national climate policy in the form of a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend. The 2019 Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) is the most recent example of bipartisan legislation that would put a fee on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas and then distribute the money collected by the fee in equal shares each month to the American people. Independent researchers estimate that implementation of the Act would reduce America’s emissions by at least 40% in the first 12 years as well as create 2.1 million new jobs. We encourage the City of South Lake Tahoe to join other cities--from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Chicago, Illinois, to Truckee, California and Park City, Utah--in support of a carbon fee and dividend. Our mountain town’s endorsement would be another message to our locals, visitors, and political representatives that South Lake Tahoe recognizes the myriad threats climate change poses to the basin’s forests, animals, lake, snow level and general way of life. We can do our part to seek and support policies to reduce fossil fuel consumption lying at the root of our problems.

Individuals can take action to reduce their carbon footprints, but it will not be enough to affect the scale of impact that is necessary in the coming decade. Community-level, collective action is necessary to produce the level of effectiveness in mitigating carbon emissions in the most meaningful timeframe. So is the state and federal action. The effort now is much more valuable than effort later because of feedback loops and irreversible potential effects.

Are we going to tell our children to clean up our after us and pay for our wastefulness, or are we going to have the integrity to do as much as possible right now? Resolving to support the Act is an easy and meaningful step that can catalyze additional action.

Sincerely,
100% Renewable Committee of South Lake Tahoe