I am a Utahn who believes that the damage to our climate is human-caused. And the great news is that I am not alone. According to Emma Penrod’s Tribune article last week, 64 percent of Utahns “believe that climate change is exacerbated by human activity.”
Giddy up, now what?
Once we acknowledge the epic climate-related disasters (as predicted by climate scientists for years) that have come to roost in our own backyard, how do we keep from being completely overwhelmed by the scope of this global problem? We all know changing from carbon-based energy to renewable energies is a community challenge on a grand scale. It’s going to take money, ingenuity, and teamwork.
When I became overwhelmed here’s what I did. First, I talked honestly about my fears. Will I be able to drive my SUV? Everything takes energy to make and transport. Won’t shifting to clean energy increase the cost of food, clothing, and everything else? Will going clean become an economic drag? Secondly, and every bit as important, I listened for positive, solution-based ideas.
I found a great group of people at Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL) who’ve worked for a decade to encourage fair, effective energy transition solutions. CCL is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization with a remarkably respectful approach to climate education built on shared values rather than divides.
CCL has a well-studied plan that is garnering a lot of attention called “Carbon Fee and Dividend.” It would place a small, predictably increasing fee on fossil fuels at their source (wells, mines, ports of entry). Then, it would return 100 percent of net revenues to American households, paying dividends! This plan protects family budgets from rising costs while leveling the playing field for new energy technologies.
Business leaders would have an economic incentive to innovate. And American companies with increasing energy cost would be protected from countries that don’t charge a fee for carbon pollution by border tariff adjustments.
This policy would reduce air pollution and save lives. It’s simple, elegant and transparent. It has low overhead, which means it’s not big government. It uses American ingenuity and the economy to drive energy transition.
Wouldn’t you go electric if it cost the same and performed as well as your gas-guzzler? What if Utah, with all our sun and open space, could be a proud leader in solar generation. These dreams could be fueled by leveling the energy playing field through Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation.
Indeed, Utah is well poised to be a leader in innovation of clean energy solutions. Salt Lake, Provo and Ogden, boast a high percentage of STEM (Science, Technology, Energy and Math) workers and ranks high in available venture capital. Our state’s LDS population is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and has a 170-year history of solving difficult problems together.
Now that I’m active in changing the conversation about climate damage, I’ve had many fruitful discussions with people who are different from me. Some mornings I wonder, what if climate change isn’t something happening to us, but something happening for us?
If it’s a challenge that’s been handed to us, let’s step up, by heck! Let’s help each other face our fears and talk to our lawmakers about solutions. Let’s show the rest of the country what Utahns are made of and build stronger, healthier communities as we face adversity. And let’s become better stewards of the bountiful earth that is our inheritance.
Regina Pistilli moved to Salt Lake City from Maine. For 10 years she served as vice president of information technology for MP Associates, in Boulder, Colo., and now devotes her time to writing and being fruitful.