I read Angelo Lynn’s recent editorial, “A hotter world creates the climate for political change” with great interest. In it he details the need for meeting the challenge of climate change through a series of measures including putting a price on carbon pollution.
Although the major part of the article deals with Bernie Sanders’ plan to reduce carbon emissions, which I applaud, I believe that the challenge of climate change is actually a non-partisan issue that anyone can support. Climate change is already here, and the effects are being felt by all of us, whether we identify with a political party or not.
Here in Vermont, a coalition of business groups, low-income advocates, environmental groups, and private citizens have begun a serious discussion about using a carbon pollution tax to lower our carbon emissions. The proposal would help build capacity for weatherization, alternative energy, fuel-efficient vehicles and other measures that would help us lower our use of energy. It would stimulate our economy by creating new jobs in the energy sector and allowing Vermonters to keep most of the money we spend on energy circulating here in our own state. More information about the carbon pollution campaign can be found at energyindependentvt.org.
I believe there is a growing awareness among Vermonters that we cannot continue business as usual when it comes to climate change. New ideas, such as the carbon pollution tax, will help us move more rapidly to a sustainable future.
Fran Putnam, Weybridge