Thursday, April 25, 2024

From Judy Weiss, of Brookline, on Feb. 4, 2018: Kudos to Claire Halloran for her excellent oped (“It’s time to act boldly on climate change, easing the terrifying cost of being young,” Feb. 3, 2018) explaining why our state Legislature should enact, and Gov. Charlie Baker sign, one of the carbon tax bills under consideration. Yes, our children’s generation will unfairly have to bear extra expenses if we don’t curb our use of fossil fuels. Yes, a carbon tax will cut emissions from fossil fuels used in transportation and heating buildings. Yes, thus far we’ve done little or nothing to cut our emissions.

Yes, it’s our best possible state policy action.

Yet I doubt our legislators have the courage to pass a carbon tax bill. Even if they did, I doubt our governor grasps fully the need for immediate, serious climate action.

What to do? Pass a measure that institutes a state carbon tax immediately upon our failing to meet our 2020 Global Warming Solutions Act emissions target.

What else to do? Voters should make climate change their prime concern in this year’s election. Think about the kids of New Orleans, Santa Rosa and Puerto Rico and vote like your kids’ lives depend on it.