Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
Sunday’s article “Wall Street will regret helping the world burn” by Mark Gongloff identifies the key underlying reason why the world is doing far too little to address climate change (Star-Advertiser, Commentary, April 20). It’s all about the money.
We continue to subsidize fossil fuels rather than tax them so that their price reflects their true cost to society. If our federal legislators had the courage to tax fossil fuels, banks would shift their financing of fossil fuels toward renewables and other carbon emission cutting technologies. The existing low prices for fossil fuels causes our economies to be overly dependent on these environmentally destructive energy sources.
Correcting the prices by implementing a carbon tax would work to address much of this problem. If the majority of the tax revenues were returned to low- and middle-income households, this policy would be progressive and financially protect them against rising energy prices.
Paul Bernstein
Aina Haina
EXPRESS YOURSELF
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.
>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.
>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite #7-500 Honolulu, HI 96813
>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter