NOTE: I posted the article below in July of 2014. Since then, the idea that a price must be put on carbon pollution has gained considerable support. There are now seven bills before the 116th U.S. Congress that would put a price on carbon. The best in my view is H.R. 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Others include the Stemming Warming, Augmenting Pay Act, H.R. 4058; the Raise Wages Cut Carbon Act, H.R. 3966; the Climate Action Rebate Act, S. 2284 & H.R. 4051; the America Wins Act, H.R. 4142; the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act, S. 1128, and the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act, S. 940 & H.R. 1960. As of this writing, September, 2019, the idea is clearly well beyond the talking stage. It seems inevitable to me that eventually this great country will wake up to the need to limit the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and will enact legislation that will do that. Those members of Congress who have proposed or co-sponsored the bills listed above are leading the way.
In late June, 2014, with over 600 other members of the Citizens’
Climate Lobby (CCL), I was in DC to
lobby Congress to support a steadily increasing revenue-neutral carbon
tax. We met with over 500 Congressional
offices.
A revenue-neutral carbon tax meshes with both liberal and conservative agendas. For an example of recent Republican support, see http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/opinion/sunday/lessons-for-climate-change-in-the-2008-recession.html?_r=0 
