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To the editor: The two lead sentences in your editorial on green power go to the heart of our climate crisis. Limiting the damage from global warming means the survival of human civilization. If that sounds extreme, think of global food shortage resulting from disrupted agricultural production and the collapse of seafood production due to ocean acidification. More than a billion people depend on the water resources of the Himalayan mountains where the temperature is rising faster that the global average.
We humans do not have a great record of managing crises like these with humanity and pacifism.
Switching from the global fossil fueled-based energy economy will not be easy. It will require substantial political will. A powerful tool to combat climate change and build political will is carbon pricing. An economy-wide carbon fee would incentivize everyone to lower their carbon consumption. It’s doable because it is simple. No complex maze of regulations for each economic sector. It’s also doable because it has the best chance of bipartisan support in Congress.