Hawaii could lead nation by enacting carbon-emissions fee

In June, I traveled to Washington, D.C., for a climate-change conference and had the honor of meeting James Hansen, a man called “the world’s most famous climate scientist” by The Washington Post.

I asked him if he could put a number to how many years we had left to solve the climate crisis. Hansen replied by saying that “the best time (to solve climate change) is today and the next best time is tomorrow.”

Though his words were true, I walked away somewhat dissatisfied, longing for more concrete information. On July 23, however, Hansen held few vagaries by announcing to the world that under a business-as-usual scenario, sea levels could rise 10 feet in as early as 50 years.

This startling revelation was contained in a new paper Hansen co-authored with 16 other climate experts. For Hawaii, such a rise in sea levels would be beyond catastrophic.

“Parts of (our coastal cities) would still be sticking above the water,” Hansen said, “but you couldn’t live there.”

To avoid this worst-case scenario storyline, we must drastically reduce our use of fossil fuels, and Hawaii has set a great example by committing to achieve 100 percent renewable energy portfolios by 2045. It’s time for the rest of the nation to follow our lead, and we can ensure a quick transition to clean energy by enacting a revenue-neutral Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D).

Revenue-neutral carbon pricing has proven to be an effective means of achieving emissions reductions in British Columbia, which enacted a carbon tax in 2008, whereby revenue is returned to the public. From 2008 to 2014, gasoline consumption dropped by seven times while maintaining economic stability.

CF&D places a gradually rising fee on all fossil fuels, making renewable energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels and eventually cheaper. According to a Stanford University study, wind energy would become cheaper than coal, oil and liquefied natural gas in the U.S. within four years with CF&D. Under this approach, all money collected from the carbon fee would be returned to American households, protecting us from rising energy costs during the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

In addition to expediting the transition to clean energy, CF&D would add 2.1 million jobs within 10 years through revenue being recycled into the economy, according a 2014 study by Regional Economic Models, Inc. The report also found that carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced to less than 50 percent of 1990 levels within 20 years.

To protect American businesses, import fees would be assessed on products imported from countries without a carbon fee, a strong incentive for other countries to adopt a carbon pricing system of their own.

In June, Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz along with U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act of 2015. When I met during my Washington trip with aides to Sens. Schatz and Mazie Hirono, they agreed we need bipartisan support to pass this legislation.

With the release of the Clean Power Plan, Republicans might well be looking for an alternative to government regulations as a means of solving climate change.

In the meantime, Hawaii can continue to lead the country in the effort to stop climate change by enacting a statewide revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend. Just as legalizing same-sex marriage began with passage in one state, pricing carbon, too, can begin at the state level.

Hawaii is setting a big example with our commitment to renewable energy. We can set another great example by pricing carbon and returning the revenue to all Hawaii’s people.

Jeffrey Kim is a co-leader of the Honolulu Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.