Letter to the editor in Contra Costa Times

The following letter to the editor from CCL volunteer Mark Altgelt was published in the Contra Costa Times on Jan. 17.

Carbon pricing

The United States is at risk of becoming a dependent debtor nation unless we provide massive economic stimulus to develop and manufacture new technologies that produce, transmit, conserve and store clean alternative energy.

Creating economic stimulus would simply require placing gradually increasing fees on oil, coal and natural gas at the port, mine or well and returning the fees to everyone in equal quarterly or annual payments as described at www.citizensclimatelobby.org. The payment would be the same for everyone whether they use more or less than average, carbon based energy.

This would not require increasing debt or taxes that create "a net increase in government revenue" as required by the Republican, "no climate tax" pledge.

Market demand would drive the development and production of new technology as part of a market driven transition to cost-cutting alternative energy.

Cutting taxes is not enough to create sufficient numbers of jobs so we need to create incentives for developing new products that will be competitive in the global marketplace.

America needs to put a price on carbon along with effectively targeted government subsidies to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and become a superpower in developing and manufacturing new technologies of the future.

Mark Altgelt

Vallejo