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Sunday, May 19, 2024 | 2 a.m.
The commendable project at UNLV seeking a low-emission way to produce iron and steel is an excellent example of how innovative new technologies, if successful, can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and move us toward a clean energy future.
Just as exciting was the recent report from the Hamilton Project and the Brookings Institution which found that a modest carbon fee combined with the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act plus action from the Environmental Protection Agency will get us closest to our goal of cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030.
But we won’t be able to make our goal unless we take more action.
Making polluters pay an annually escalating fee based on their emissions would have the related effect of forcing energy companies and Big Oil to try to avoid the fees and remain profitable by pivoting toward clean energy. They can do this by supporting nascent or existing innovative technologies that reduce or avoid emissions. It’s a win-win for everyone, and as an added benefit, the proposed carbon pricing bill includes the return of the fees collected to American households each year, similar to cash-back rebates.
UNLV’s goal is a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, we must continue to exhort our members of Congress to take strong legislative action by voting for a carbon price with the cash-back benefit. Mitigating the worst effects of climate change depends on it.
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