Acting on climate change is a moral responsibility

Thank you for taking an unequivocal position on the moral responsibility to act on climate change (Editorial, Oct. 4).

As you stated, the conclusion reached by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement on fuel economy for cars and light trucks is not good enough for our children and grandchildren. We owe them a livable world.

There is a solution that does not depend on multiple, discrete incremental policies and programs such as government-set goals for fuel economy. It hits the global scope and crosses the sectors the EIS used to justify weakening fuel economy standards for model years 2021-2026, and drives greenhouse gas emissions down to 50 percent of 1990 levels within 20 years.

Put a steadily rising price on carbon at the mine, well, or port of entry until emissions are reduced to climate-safe levels. This will catalyze the transition to improved energy efficiency and to energy sources, industrial processes and products that are ever less carbon-intensive. This, in turn, averts premature deaths due to diseases related to fossil fuel combustion.

Keep U.S. businesses onshore and give other countries the incentive to take equivalent action with a WTO-compliant border adjustment.

Return all net revenues to households, as in Citizens Climate Lobby's Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal, to grow GDP, protect the poor and create millions of new jobs.

Defeatism is not the answer! Where is America's optimism and can-do spirit? A forward-looking federal policy that attacks the root cause of rising greenhouse gas levels will leave our children and grandchildren a livable world. Carbon Fee and Dividend puts us on the road and accelerates our progress toward that goal.

Julie Nowak

Libertyville Township