Letters: Carbon fee and dividend plan could curb climate change, stimulate economy

First, thanks to the Current for publishing this excellent article. Reynolds and Atkins are quite correct: the fee and dividend plan, as in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, can quickly reduce climate change while stimulating the economy, protecting the poor, protecting trade, and pushing other nations to pass similar fees on fossil carbon.

Without changes, we will all find life very difficult, as those in Texas found recently. Montana may find that too much rain falls in some extreme storms. High winds, like the derecho in Iowa recently, may become a problem soon. Wildfires, like those in California, will find fuel in Montana.

One important aspect of the concept is that it will help everyone find better choices in a world that needs changes. We will find that, as a fee on carbon increases, we can save money by adding insulation to homes, buying cars that have lighter materials, and generating electricity with solar and wind at our homes.

A result that many may not realize is that, as the price of products increase differently, we can cause less climate change simply by choosing products that do not increase as fast because they need less fossil carbon in manufacture or transport.