As Colin Woodard’s recent reporting observed, the Supreme Court ruling rendering the Environmental Protection Agency unable to enforce industrial carbon dioxide emissions regulations is “a blow to U.S. efforts to reduce climate catastrophe.”

Woodard went on to outline the good news – that Maine’s climate-related plans will continue unabated. But what about other states that aren’t as organized on the subject? Will state-level action add up to the necessary reductions or the international leadership this country owes the world?

Well, the other good news is that there is a non-regulatory path to swift reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, something designed by the conservatives of days gone by: charging a pollution penalty on fossil fuels and returning the money to people. This is known as cash-back carbon pricing, or carbon fee and dividend.

A national carbon fee charged to the producers of fossil fuels would result in prices that incentivize industries in our competitive economy to become more efficient and to use cheaper, cleaner, non-fossil fuels. If the fee revenues are returned to households, it will be a win for us all. The EPA would be happy to be out of the loop!

Cynthia Stancioff
Chesterville