Price on carbon is answer for climate

Stories like "A summer of disasters" are dispiriting for a lot of people, but I can't help but feel a sense of optimism. I feel this way because we understand what is causing these disasters. The physics and chemistry of global warming are absolutely clear. The economics are becoming clear as well.

Natural disasters are getting worse because we're burning fossil fuels that put carbon in the air. We're putting carbon in the air because there is no price on it. It is artificially cheap up front. As a society, we eventually pay for those emissions, but rebuilding after a storm is not a good way to do it. The right way to pay for carbon is to put a price on it directly.

If we put a price on carbon, it will unleash American entrepreneurial innovation and creativity. When I first started thinking about this, I was hesitant to take on climate change because it felt like a step back - fly less, eat less meat and so on. But the way I see it now, our quality of life is being held back by the subsidy we pay for carbon production. With a fair price on carbon we would find all sorts of new and beautiful ways to keep living a better life.

If we pair a price on carbon with a dividend that pays back to every American, we can make this change without hurting our wallets. As we find new and innovative ways to use less carbon, we are rewarded more by the dividend.

Contact your member of Congress and urge them to put a price on carbon. This is a crucial moment. Even better, ask them to pay a dividend back to all Americans, and we can move confidently into a brighter future.

Gabriel Perdue

Aurora