It's invisible. It's odorless. It's naturally occurring, but carbon dioxide is insidiously increasing in our atmosphere and now, ("Greenhouse Gas Takes Big Jump," ADN, Nov. 4, 2011) it appears the rate of increase is greater than previously predicted. The vast majority of climatologists world-wide agree that the ominous rise in greenhouse gases is man-caused and is impacting the planet's climate. Richard Muller, ("Skeptic Accepts Global Warming," ADN Oct. 31, 2011) now agrees that the science is sound and that global warming is occurring. We should be worried that our children and grandchildren will live in a more perilous world if this problem continues unabated.
The U.S. has been to slow to take action, but Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., has introduced H.B. 3242 -- Save Our Climate Act -- that proposes a tax on carbon-based fuels with the revenue being returned back to individuals to offset the higher cost of energy. This will reduce fossil fuel burning and make investment in renewable forms of energy more attractive. Let's get behind this or a similar plan.
-- John R. DeLapp
Anchorage