U.S. Congress: Put a Price on Carbon to Achieve Targets Set at the Paris Climate Accord!

  • by: Julie S.
  • recipient: United States Congress, President Barack Obama, and U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz

The United States will fail to meet the emissions reduction target agreed upon in the Paris climate accord, unless current policies change dramatically.

Climate change is a worldwide emergency that requires immediate and bold action. We have already seen its devastating effects – record droughts and floods, unprecedented wildfires, devastating hurricanes, the melting of Arctic sea ice, and the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists warn of much more catastrophic effects if temperatures continue to rise.

World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, recently commented, “The longest streak of record-warm months has now reached 16 - such heat has never persisted on the planet for so long. The reality is stark. We have a planet that is at serious risk, but our current response is not yet equal to the task.”

In an attempt to reduce the impact of climate change, nearly 40 nations across the globe have engaged in carbon pricing. Several Canadian provinces, as well as California and nine Northeastern states have also put a price on carbon. Carbon pricing is defined as a direct tax on emissions, or a cap on emissions. Both systems increase the price of fossil fuels, providing an incentive for utility companies to generate energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. Taxes on emissions may be reinvested in the further development of clean energy.

Carbon pricing has proven to be one of the most effective strategies in reducing pollution. For example, California’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased faster than scientists predicted since the policy was implemented. John Sterman, Director of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, has stated that putting a price on carbon nationally would be the most effective strategy for meeting the 2025 goals set in the Paris agreement.If you had to take one policy to a desert island, it would be a price on carbon,” Sterman said to the Guardian.

Please sign this petition urging members of Congress, President Barack Obama, and U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz to implement carbon pricing at the federal level. It is an outrage that so many of our representatives not only fail to act on climate change, but refuse to even acknowledge its existence. Every living being on our Earth will be impacted by how we resolve the climate crisis – please sign and share this petition today!

Dear President Barack Obama, Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz, and Members of United States Congress,


I am deeply concerned that the United States will fail to meet the emissions reduction target agreed upon in the Paris climate accord, unless current policies change dramatically.


Climate change is a worldwide emergency that requires immediate and bold action. We have already seen its devastating effects – record droughts and floods, unprecedented wildfires, devastating hurricanes, the melting of Arctic sea ice, and the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists warn of much more catastrophic effects if temperatures continue to rise.


Carbon pricing has proven to be one of the most effective strategies in reducing pollution. For example, California’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased faster than scientists predicted since the policy was implemented. John Sterman, Director of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, has stated that putting a price on carbon nationally would be the most effective strategy for meeting the 2025 goals set in the Paris agreement. “If you had to take one policy to a desert island, it would be a price on carbon,” Sterman said.


I respectfully request that you put implement carbon pricing at the federal level. Every living being on our Earth will be impacted by how we resolve the climate crisis. Please use the power of your office to protect American citizens and all life.


[Your comments here]


Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,


[Your name]

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