Proud of clean efforts on the Eastern Plains

Re: “Report: Area set for more renewable energy,” July 30 news story

I read with great joy the reporting of Judith Kohler regarding Colorado’s Eastern Plains’ success in establishing wind energy production and plans to harvest additional clean energy from the wind and the sun soon.

It makes me proud that our rural citizens are such wise stewards of both their own land and the whole earth. This new and constructive source of income benefits not only individual landowners and their families; it maintains precious heritage, increases independence, stabilizes the local community, and provides meaningful work for others. The ability to define and adapt to the needs of this rapidly evolving world is our strength, the free market our tool.

Where we will already need to adjust to a warming, drying, flooding, more chaotic and extreme event- laden climate, it is by far more productive to take steps to avert that change. This path we need to take could and should be facilitated by applying the appropriate price on carbon excreted by combusting ancient coal, oil, and gas.

Taxpayers, expectant mothers, businesses, farmers, ranchers; we all pay for the unwelcome consequences of toxins and warming with strains on our health, water supply and productivity.

If the proceeds, a “carbon dividend,” are equitably distributed, the free market will be fueled and individuals empowered allowing unbiased competition for consumers’ energy purchase choices, predictability for business, utility, and civic planning, and support for the less advantaged.

Together we can navigate toward a better future for Colorado, our majestic and inspirational state, and beyond.

Lois McLauchlan, Sedalia