LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Individual actions do affect climate change

Editor’s Note: To submit a response to this column, or submit a letter to the editor on a new topic, email your submission to opinion@usustatesman.com.

The recent column “Sorry, but you can’t do anything to fix climate change” raised some important points about the effect of our personal actions on climate change. It’s true that by themselves, individual choices to drive or walk to campus won’t appreciably affect the pace of climate change. But our actions still matter, especially when it comes to the local air quality that’s much more sensitive to the decision to drive than the global climate is. Individual choices can also create momentum for wider change. For example, as people choose to adopt sustainable innovations like rooftop solar, those innovations spread through communities and become more common.

We also need systemic solutions to address climate change. The most efficient way to reduce emissions throughout the economy is a carbon tax. On November 27, a bipartisan group of representatives introduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act in Congress.The bill would put a price on fossil fuels to encourage clean energy and refund the money to American households to offset higher energy prices. The rationale is simple — tax the thing that’s harming everyone and return the proceeds to people to spend however they see fit. This bill is a the kind of systemic solution that can make a difference for a livable climate, and it’s predicted to reduce carbon emissions by 40% in the first 12 years. As citizens, it’s our responsibility to let our representatives know that we care about this issue and that we want to see comprehensive legislation like this bill passed.