Flooded town suggests need for carbon plan

The consequences of global warming struck recently just outside Fort Smith in the little town of Moffett, Okla. Two years ago the community had been destroyed by a flood as high as their rooftops. Now they are being told that they must either relocate or rebuild the entire town higher. There are neighborhoods in Fort Smith that are also periodically flooded; will they be asked to relocate as well? Need overrides politics. We must unite to deal with climate change.

The Electric Power Supply Association, American Petroleum Institute, Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have now thrown their support to “market based” solutions or an economy-wide carbon price.

Last week 29 House members reintroduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This policy puts a fee on carbon pollution, creating a level playing field for clean energy. The money collected from fossil fuel companies goes to Americans as a monthly carbon cash back payment. That way everyone can afford the transition to clean energy. Fort Smith Citizens’ Climate Lobby Chapter members support this bill.

Climate change increases storm intensity and unpredictability. The relocation of Moffett families should be raising alarms and compelling Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and our Arkansas Reps. Crawford, Hill, Womack and Westerman to get to the table and support carbon pricing, the most powerful non-regulatory tool we have to energize American investment and innovation and survive climate change. It’s time to get serious.

AL BROOKS

Waldron