This is an exerpt of an article prepared by the Citizens' Climate Lobby.
Pope Francis appearance before a joint session of the U.S. House and Senate on Sept. 24 should be viewed as an opportunity to begin a bipartisan conversation about solving humanitys biggest problem.
One of those worst-case scenarios is the displacement of millions of people throughout the world as water and food shortages create instability and force people to make desperate migrations. The tragic plight of migrants currently seeking refuge in Mediterranean countries is a foretaste of what lies ahead as conditions worsen.In his encyclical, Laudato Si, released earlier this summer, the Pope said:
Its [climate changes] worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry.
Our current business-as-usual pace of burning fossil fuels places us on a trajectory of warming that ensures the current nightmare of the migrant crisis will grow to unimaginable proportions. To avoid that bleak scenario, the world must drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is the aim of the Paris accord.
The success of the Paris agreement hinges on commitments the United States is willing to make. Other nations will follow our lead on emissions reductions and so the U.S. pledge must be sufficient to the task.And thats why the Popes visit on Sept. 24 is so important. Throughout our history, the United States has been far more resolute and effective when we respond to threats as one nation. Until now, however, the climate change crisis has been met with divisiveness and a response that only half our government embraces.
Pope Francis, who carries the moral authority of being the leader of the worlds largest Christian denomination, offers our elected officials the opportunity to hit the reset button on the climate change conversation happening in Washington. In his encyclical, the Pope said:
I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.
An AcceptableSolution: When all parties become earnestly engaged in that conversation, the talk must turn to solutions that are acceptable to both Republicans and Democrats.Many conservatives, among them former Reagan Secretary of State George Shultz , believe the best option is the market-based approach of a revenue-neutral carbon fee. If the revenue from that fee is returned equitably to all households, this approach will actually grow our economy, removing the biggest concern that conservatives have about carbon pricing.
Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI), conducted a study on this policy, known as Carbon Fee and Dividend , calculating an annual increase of $10 per ton on the carbon dioxide content of fossil fuels. REMI found that emissions would be reduced 52 percent below 1990 levels after 20 years. The other good news from the study is that the policy would add 2.8 million jobs during that time, chiefly because of the economic stimulus of recycling the carbon fee revenue back into the economy.Carbon Fee and Dividend also employs border tariffs on imports from nations that do not similarly price carbon, thereby maintaining a level playing field for American businesses.
For people of faith, the Popes appearance before Congress can be viewed as divine intervention at a critical moment in human history. Lets hope this intervention sparks a dialogue that leads to effective solutions to the climate crisis to preserve a livable world for, as Pope Francis would say, all our brothers and sisters.
