David R. Rice, 53,
Dies in Hospital
In Anchorage
David Russell Rice, a Sitka resident, died late Wednesday night at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. He was 53.
Climate Connection: Reconciliation Bill Opportunity
One goal of the proposed $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Bill (also known as the Budget Reconciliation Bill) is to fund climate programs to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, a goal established by the United Nation’s International Panel on Climate Change. Even if the Reconciliation Bill and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill were to pass, the U.S. seems unlikely to reach this goal. Climate Interactive’s simulation modeling program “En-ROADS” makes it clear that more action is needed than what was initially proposed. To this end, the Senate Finance Committee, composed of 14 Democrats and 14 Republicans, leaked on Sept. 10 that it was now considering a price on carbon. The fee would start at $15/metric ton of carbon dioxide, increase annually, have a border carbon adjustment that would level the international playing field for imported and exported goods, and most importantly distribute a fee rebate or dividend to households to protect lower income Americans from higher prices.
A fee on carbon levied on fossil fuel corporations bringing their products to market is an efficient way to begin accounting for the costs of climate warming resulting from the combustion of these fuels. These costs accrue from severe weather damage, sea level rise, collapsing fisheries, and health effects from air pollution and heat illness, to name but a few. At present, we all pay for these costs resulting from the accumulation of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. A price on carbon can quickly lower fossil fuel combustion as business and industry seek to lower their costs by investing in renewable energy and other ways to avoid the external costs of emissions that would be increasingly accounted for in the price of fossil fuels.
Unlike regulatory approaches to emissions, this fee and dividend method of “pricing carbon” would be quick to implement and apply economy-wide. Also, a carbon fee would be more effective at reducing emissions and slowing global warming than other market-based approaches such as “cap and trade” or “carbon offsets” – approaches that are hard to enforce and may not directly reduce emissions.
The fees collected will provide a household rebate or “carbon cash back” dividend stimulating local economies. For low-income families, the rebate will exceed their increased costs resulting from businesses passing the fee to consumers. Additionally, by implementing a border carbon adjustment, there will be less incentive for American businesses to move to less climate-ambitious countries; and it protects them from border tariffs such as the European Union plans to implement on U.S. imports in 2023. Globally, all countries relying on trade will have an incentive to institute carbon prices that will lower their reliance on fossil fuels.
Today, air pollution contributes to as many as 1 in 10 American deaths and sickens many. The decreasing fossil fuel emissions will save millions of American lives over the next 50 years. Retooling our economy toward renewable energy sources will create millions of jobs nationwide while improving our planet’s health and mitigating the disastrous results of extreme weather events.
Our opportunity for climate action this month is to email President Biden to urge him to support a carbon price in the Reconciliation Bill so that we can meet his climate goal of halving our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. A quick way to register your support for a carbon price to meet our climate emergency is to email him using the page available at cclusa.org/white-house.
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Kent Barkhau and Kay Kreiss are of Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby
Women’s Pistol
League to Start
The Women’s Pistol League is starting Sunday, Sept. 19, and will run for 10 weeks.
Those who missed the signups Wednesday can still register on either Sept. 19 or 26. Shooting starts at 6 p.m. Those who need to register should arrived by 5 p.m. Those with questions can contact Steve at 738-7267 or ramp@gci.net.
Emblem Club
Meeting on Tap
The Sitka Emblem Club will hold its fall social meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Elks Lodge.
Quilters to Meet
Ocean Wave Quilters will meet 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, at United Methodist Church and via Zoom. Masks are required for those attending in person.
Monthly meetings, September through June, are open to all, members or not. Those wishing to pay the $25 dues receive a monthly newsletter, discounts on classes and other benefits.
For more information call President Sarah Jordan at 738-7272.
Legion to Meet
The American Legion will hold a meeting 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Legion Hall. All Legionnaires are being encouraged to attend.
