Dear Editor:
My initial reaction to "Americans favor slightly higher bills to fight warming" (page B6, Sept. 15) aligned with that of young Greg Davis, quoted in the article.
He wasn't optimistic about the future. It is easy to get depressed about how little people are willing to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow, but I want to tell young people to be optimistic.
In discussing global warming, Davis said, "I think as the younger generation starts displacing the older people, I think we'll get somewhere," then added, "but I'm afraid that may be too late." Is that how our "older" generation wants to be viewed? As the generation that needed to be displaced so that young people could have a livable future?
The article referred to a poll that showed 71 percent of Americans believe government should address climate change. Even 43 percent of Republican voters agree we need government policy. But the focus was on how much extra people would pay on their electric bills to combat climate change. Only 57 percent supported a one-dollar monthly increase, and that fell to 39 percent at $10.
It is little wonder that young Davis isn't optimistic about his future, and he represents a generation who will experience the future older generations leave behind. Young generations will know what we did or didn't do to address climate change.
Adding a few dollars to electric bills now would be a small price to pay compared to the cost young people will pay in the future. But how would people respond if they knew they'd get their money back? We could do that by placing a fee on fossil fuels at coal mines and oil wells and then returning the revenue collected back to households.
Research by Citizens' Climate Lobby shows how a carbon fee and dividend policy can dramatically reduce emissions and economically benefit 86 percent of low-income households. It would be good for job creation and economic growth.
Young people should be optimistic about their future. Working with parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles to take action on climate change can be a story they tell their grandchildren. The story about when they became empowered citizens by writing and calling members of Congress to demand public policy to protect the future. Who wants to be the old tightfisted curmudgeon worried about a dollar on the utility bill in that story?