According to Richard Salit's Aug. 15 article ("Bus tour visits Providence to address climate change") about the "I Will Act on Climate" tour, one speaker said the president unveiled a plan to reduce emissions via executive actions that do not require congressional approval, given that Republican leaders tend to be at odds with the president.
Such a statement suggests Republicans are so hardhearted they refuse to address climate change just because they don't like Obama! Is it possible they want reasonable legislation that effectively and economically reduces emissions without hurting the economy?
Cap-and-trade and renewable goals involve unreliable guesswork. Regulations create uncertainty for investors and expenses for businesses passed on to consumers via price increases.
To fight climate change, we need a national revenue-neutral carbon tax. Let Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) stop promoting carbon taxes that enrich government and let him reach out to Republicans about carbon taxes fully rebated to households, protecting individuals from price increases.
The writer is a member of Citizens Climate Lobby.