December 8th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

The Trump administration announced plans to reverse EPA carbon emission regulations just two weeks after a shocking U.S. government report warned that we are woefully behind our goals to curb the emission of greenhouse gasses and that aggressive action is needed to mitigate the impact of global warming.

 

Research published Wednesday by the Global Carbon Project indicates that annual global carbon emissions are on track to hit an all-time high this year. 

 

“Trump’s backward environmental policy is wrongheaded, dangerous, and is exacerbating an already critical climate crisis,” said Congressman Delaney. “The data continues to show with terrifying consistency that we simply aren’t doing enough on climate change. Things aren’t getting better, they’re getting worse. We aren’t reducing emissions fast enough and we’re putting our future at stake. Instead of being a global leader, the United States under President Trump is retreating into climate denialism. This is a big problem and we need a big solution and that solution is a carbon tax. A carbon tax puts market forces to work, encourages private sector innovation, and would provide the revenues to offset the costs of transition to clean energy. It’s a bipartisan solution that can work and I’m going to make it a priority in my administration,” said Congressman Delaney.

 

Last week, a landmark bipartisan carbon tax legislation, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICD), was filed by Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL-22), Congressman John Delaney (D-MD-6), Congressman Francis Rooney (R-FL-19), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-08), and Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13). An additional Republican cosponsor, Congressman Dave Trott (R-MI-11) has since signed on as well. This bipartisan legislation aims to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint by taxing greenhouse gas emissions. Under the EICD, corporations would be taxed at $15 per ton of CO2 emissions. That fee would climb $10 per year until emission reduction targets are reached. 100 percent of the revenue from the tax would be returned to taxpayers via a dividend. The legislation also includes regulatory relief.