WASHINGTON (November 19, 2014)—Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) will unveil legislation today that would impose a fee on carbon emissions—a measure the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) called a common-sense solution to one of the biggest problems facing the country.
Below is a statement by Rachel Cleetus, senior climate economist at UCS.
“Putting a price on carbon is a smart solution that’s supported on both the left and the right. It would help cut carbon emissions that are fueling costly climate impacts, encourage a shift to cost-effective clean energy solutions and drive low-carbon innovation.
“What’s more, we can put the revenues to use in ways that benefit the American people, including upgrading our aging infrastructure, investing in making communities more resilient to climate change and cutting taxes.
“The American people are already bearing the high costs of climate change. Congress has an imperative to lead on reducing emissions so those costs don’t continue to grow. A carbon fee, such as the one outlined in this bill, would address climate change while creating revenue that can be put to good use."