Climate is on the agenda. A carbon tax should be too

A few weeks into the new administration, the federal government is off to a roaring start on climate change. Democrats have indicated climate change is a priority issue they intend to tackle. President Joe Biden signed a raft of executive orders related to climate change, elevating the issue across the federal government. The Senate Majority leader directed all relevant Senate committees to begin holding hearings on climate. And the Speaker of the House, no stranger to the fight for climate legislation, is ready for round two.

Republicans, too, know their constituents are struggling with the impacts of climate change, and their younger voters in particular are eager for representation in this national discussion. Chuck Grassley, though not a fan of the Green New Deal, is the original author of the production tax credit for wind energy in 1992. He said 'The U.S. will only continue to increase renewable energy consumption through 2050 as we see more investments in wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other alternative energies.” 'Renewable energy is a smart investment and the fastest-growing source for electricity generation in the United States.” 'As prices continue to fall, the economic benefits from these clean energy investments will only increase.”

There's no question of congressional climate action this year - it must happen.

As Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Rep. Miller-Meeks and their colleagues in Congress evaluate policy options, they should consider the broadly popular carbon tax or fee. A carbon tax can quickly slash our emissions and save lives - plus, when designed right, it can actually pay people and benefit American business. Endorsements from the scientific community, health organizations, economists, and businesses show that this is the consensus solution. Let's explore why.

As we all understand by now, it's imperative that the world reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. That target comes from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's game-changing 2018 report. In that same report, the IPCC specified that 'carbon pricing is a necessary condition of ambitious climate policies.” A steadily rising carbon tax could slash emissions enough to reach the net-zero by 2050 target. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine reinforced that message in a new report, naming a carbon tax as one of the solutions to reach net-zero. Scientists are committed to solving this problem, so they're throwing support behind the most effective solution available.

Deep emissions cuts will not only help the climate, but also will be a huge boon to public health. We could save 4.5 million American lives over the next 50 years by replacing pollution with clean air. That's why the Lancet Commission endorses carbon pricing, calling it 'the single most powerful strategic instrument to inoculate human health against the risks of climate change.”

In addition to health benefits, a carbon tax can provide economic benefits to Americans, too. A fee and dividend structure, sometimes called a 'carbon cashback,” will actually put the carbon fee revenue into people's pockets to spend as they see fit. If these payments are monthly, as in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, 85 percent of Americans come out ahead or essentially break even. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is a longtime supporter of this approach. She affirmed in her January confirmation process that she is 'fully supportive of effective carbon pricing,” adding, 'I know that the President is as well.” A Carbon Fee and Dividend policy, the basis of this bill, has been endorsed by 3,589 U.S. economists including four former chairs of the Federal Reserve, and 28 Nobel Laureate economists, and over 50 Iowa economists.

A carbon tax is better for business, as well. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently announced its support of a 'market-based approach to accelerate emissions reductions.” A carbon tax is considered a market-based approach, giving businesses the ultimate say on how they shift to clean energy. It is far more predictable and durable than regulations, which can change with the stroke of a new President's pen.

With scientists, public health professionals, economists, and businesses supporting a carbon tax, Congress should listen closely. Plus, the American people themselves expect results. Public polling shows 60 percent of people nationwide, 66 percent of people in Johnson County, and 60 percent of Iowans want Congress to do more to address global warming. That desire defies partisanship among the American people, with majority support for climate action from Republican and Democratic voters. An effective carbon tax would fit the bill and put America on the fast track to a healthy, prosperous future.

We Iowans should keep urging Sen. Grassley, Sen. Ernst and our Congressional representatives to support a carbon pricing policy, especially the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. It has already been endorsed by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors and the Iowa City Council.

John Macatee is a retired physician and volunteer with the Iowa City chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby. Mark Reynolds is the executive director of Citizens' Climate Lobby.