Mary Garton, From The Citizens Climate Lobby Talked At The RCAAN Lunch Meeting on June 18th.

Posted on Jun 18, 2020
Citizens' Climate Lobby Mary Garton
Mary Garton, from the Citizens' Climate Lobby, was the speaker at RCAAN Lunch Meeting on June 18, 2020.
 

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change.

Mary talked about the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which the lobby supports. 

Mary said, "A viable climate change solution needs to be big and lasting — which means bipartisan legislation. We fully support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This policy will drive down America’s carbon pollution while unleashing American technology innovation and ingenuity." The Citizens' Climate Lobby support it because it’s: 

  • Effective

This policy will reduce America’s emissions by at least 40% in the first 12 years.

  • Good for People

This policy will improve health and save lives. Additionally, the carbon dividend puts money directly into people’s pockets every month to spend as they see fit, helping low and middle income Americans.

  • Bipartisan: 

    Republicans and Democrats are both on board, cosponsoring this bill together. The majority of Americans support Congress taking action on climate change, including more than half of Republicans. Solving climate change is too urgent to get caught up in partisan politics.

  • Revenue Neutral:

    The fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to all Americans to spend any way they choose. The government will not keep any of the fees collected.

This is how it works:

  • Carbon Fee
This policy puts a fee on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. It starts low, and grows over time. It will drive down carbon pollution because energy companies, industries, and consumers will move toward cleaner, cheaper options. 
 
  • Carbon Dividend
The money collected from the carbon fee is allocated in equal shares every month to the American people to spend as they see fit. Program costs are paid from the fees collected. The government does not keep any of the money from the carbon fee.
 
  • Border Carbon Adjustment
To protect U.S. manufacturers and jobs, imported goods will be assessed a border carbon adjustment, and goods exported from the United States will receive a refund under this policy.
 
  • Regulatory Adjustment
This policy preserves effective current regulations, like auto mileage standards, but pauses the EPA authority to regulate the CO2 and equivalent emissions covered by the fee, for the first 10 years after the policy is enacted. If emission targets are not being met after 10 years, Congress gives clear direction to the EPA to regulate those emissions to meet those targets. The pause does not impact EPA regulations related to water quality, air quality, health or other issues. This policy’s price on pollution will lower carbon emissions far more than existing and pending EPA regulations.
 
Mary said, "the key to getting this bill past is education so she will be excited to come to any club like RCAAN and give her talk."