Climate solution is within reach

Thanks for the Sept. 15 editorial “Climate change will spare no one in the West if action is not taken.”

This well-written piece illustrates the local changing landscape of Nevada, highlighting the impacts from a warming climate. A similar story is unfolding in Colorado, and the West at large.

Agriculture and tourism are income streams upon which we rely for a healthy economy. Continued drought leads to desertification, rendering land useless for almost any future endeavor.

Plain and simple, we need to reduce our carbon emissions on a large scale, and do it quickly. We are not powerless.

To address the problem, economists overwhelmingly endorse a price on carbon. More than 3,600, including four former chairs of the Federal Reserve and 28 Nobel laureates, signed a statement that reads, “A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary. By correcting a wellknown market failure, a carbon tax will send a powerful price signal that harnesses the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.”

The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is the means to implement carbon pricing in a fair and equitable way. Contact Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, and ask their support for national legislation that creates a livable world for all.

Susan Atkinson, Durango, Colo.