Letter: ‘Carbon cash-back’ is the solution we need

I am writing to tell your readers about a bill before New Hampshire legislators – the “carbon cash-back.”

This bill is what I believe to be the best solution to climate change because it uses market forces to work quickly, efficiently, and effectively to cut pollution. And it would be good for New Hampshire.

The way the carbon cash-back solution works is that fossil fuel companies are charged a fee when their product is imported into the state, and then that money is distributed as a dividend to all New Hampshire residents equally (children under 18 receive half a dividend). The dividend would offset rising prices of fuels for an estimated 60% of households.

The carbon cash-back solution would be great for New Hampshire because, instead of continuing to rely on out-of-state energy sources, the state would increase local clean energy production. This, in turn, would spur innovation, create new jobs, and reduce out-of-state expenditures. And at the same time, pollution in New Hampshire would go down quickly, and the cleaner air would promote health and save lives.

In addition to the carbon cash-back bill before the New Hampshire legislators, there is also a bill before the U.S. Congress. But if New Hampshire acts now before the federal bill is enacted, we can get a head start on clean energy development and be ahead of the game.

We need to put the carbon cash-back solution to work. It’s good for New Hampshire’s people, good for New Hampshire’s economy, and good for the planet.

BARBARA SOUTHARD

Bradford