The Cities of Monterey and Marina Endorse Carbon Fee and Dividend Resolution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2017. Monterey, California – Citizens’ Climate Lobby Monterey (CCLM) is proud to announce an affirmative 4-1 vote by the City Council of Monterey and a 4-0 vote by the City of Marina to support Carbon Fee and Dividend, national carbon pricing legislation proposed by Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Both cities voted to endorse the resolution requests on December 19. Official action from both cities, driven by CCLM’s determination to obtain endorsements of the resolutions, has been described as “an extraordinary demonstration of civic action and the collective will of the community” by Myra Jackson, CCL Monterey member and UN Representative and Focal Point on Climate Change, Diplomat of the Biosphere.
Without leadership from the Trump administration during these perilous times for the environment, cities and their mayors and city council members are stepping up to assume leadership to protect their citizens from the destructive effects of increasing carbon dioxide pollution resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.
Climate advocates believe climate change is the most important issue facing humanity today and feel an urgency to find effective, immediate, solutions to this existential problem resulting from excessive climate-warming fossil fuel pollution. Experts agree that climate change threatens the security of our nation, our economic security, and the health of all citizens, especially the poor, children, and the elderly. 97% of the world’s scientists, economists both liberal and conservative, political leaders, and global business leaders believe that carbon pricing is the most effective way to reduce climate-warming carbon emissions.
Carbon Fee and Dividend is a market-based approach designed to drive consumer demand away from fossil fuels and spur innovation toward clean energy solutions making clean energy as competitive if not cheaper than fossil fuel energy sources. This approach will reduce atmospheric temperatures, grow the economy, create jobs, and save lives.
William Merry, Monterey resident and member of CCLM’s Resolutions Team, offered the following in response to questions from the Monterey council: “This is the time to take action to combat climate change…The United States is the only country in the world to not support the Paris Climate Accord. With this lack of leadership in Washington, the responsibility falls to local governments…to take action and support this Resolution, and to show support for Congressman Panetta on this issue.”
About CCL
CCL is a nonpartisan international organization of citizen volunteers dedicated to preserving the environment through effective climate change legislation. The organization has volunteers in 457 (and growing) national and international chapters. In the U.S. volunteer climate lobbyists work with their Congressional representatives to achieve long-term climate solutions through legislative means. For more information go to https://citizensclimatelobby.org
About CCL Monterey
Citizen’s Climate Lobby Monterey (CCLM) is a local chapter of Citizen’s Climate Lobby. Inspired by Dr. Steve Webster (co-founder of the Monterey Bay Aquarium) the Monterey chapter was formed in early 2015 by two dozen men and women committed to improving the health of the planet.
We are convinced, based on overwhelming scientific evidence, that anthropogenic (human caused) global warming is happening and is primarily caused by the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is emitted into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels.
We believe that the best solution for global warming is to put a price on carbon (CO2) at the point of extraction according to CCL’s Carbon Fee and Dividend plan.
Our chapter goal is to build political will among local elected officials to support Carbon Fee and Dividend.
To reach our goal we are reaching out to civic leaders and organizations to raise awareness in our community of the serious nature of climate change especially as it will impact us locally.
We believe that a well-informed and educated constituency will encourage local politicians to support carbon pricing solutions. Local support should generate political will among our elected members of Congress to enact federal solutions that support the US’s commitments to reduce carbon emissions and preserve a livable future. We are determined to obtain passage of national Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation. Municipal resolutions in support of carbon pricing will strongly encourage our Congressional representatives to acknowledge the will of their constituents by passing this critical legislation.
