Phoenix, Tucson need to craft a climate plan
Thriving cities around the nation have a reputation for taking the bull by the horns. This is no surprise — snow must get moved, garbage picked up, and services delivered. With the Trump administration running from the climate-change discussion, cities and states are jumping into the fray, because they know their survival depends on it.
In Arizona, we have much to worry about with climate change. Drought, high temperatures and wildfires are direct threats to our wellbeing and to our economy.
Recently, Flagstaff showed leadership by weighing in on the climatechange problem. The City Council unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation to curb carbon emissions through a carbon fee and dividend program.
Crafted by Citizen’s Climate Lobby, a carbon fee and dividend program, targets the culprit in climate change: carbon. A fee would be placed on carbon pollution from fossil fuels at the well-head, at the mine, and the border. A slow but steady rise in fossil-fuel prices would widen the opportunity for carbon-free energy sources and spur the development of needed storage and distribution technologies.
All net revenue from the fee would be returned to households as a regular dividend, offsetting the increased prices caused by the fee.
CFD does what the market has failed to do — exact a fee for the costs that climate change is imposing on society. It also creates new markets that will produce effective and efficient solutions without excessive government regulation. Commissioned studies have shown this approach would actually grow our economy and add jobs without threatening the poor and middle class.
It’s no surprise that Flagstaff bravely took on the climate debate. After the catastrophic Schultz Fire in 2010, the city was faced with the prospect of more devastation: worsening fires, further harm to the city’s water sources and more losses to homes and neighborhoods.
To avoid a repeat, the Flagstaff City Council asked for, and received, voter approval for money to address the threat. Today, in a partnership with both federal and county governments, a thinning project is underway that will lower the risk of future fires that could further imperil Flagstaff’s future. This is a great example of how a can city take responsibility for its future.
Other Arizona communities have demonstrated this kind of bold leadership. Pima County forged the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan to protect critical habitats and biological corridors, create mountain parks, and preserve historical and cultural sites with the intention of supporting smarter development. Phoenix is doubling down on its light-rail system to further relieve traffic congestion, reduce pollution and move people more efficiently around the city.
Cities around the country are making their position on climate change known. Nearly 100 municipalities, states and tribal communities have adopted resolutions calling for action to stabilize the climate, and many are explicitly calling for a carbon fee and dividend approach.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle should be able to get behind this idea. The goal of these resolutions is simple: Let our federal legislators know that people support effective and durable climate change solutions. Tucson and Phoenix, it’s your turn to step up.
Arizonans can hear about the CFD proposal at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby regional conference in Phoenix Nov. 3-5 (Google “2017 Wild West Regional Conference”) or learn more by visiting the Citizens’ Climate Lobby website at citizensclimatelobby.org.