Election is about our climate future

Paul Krugman is right to sound the alarm that “the fate of our planet” is what is really at stake in the upcoming elections (“The environment is hanging in the balance,” Feb. 2). He is also right to point out the good news that the cost of alternative energy sources is coming way down.

But though the transition away from fossil fuels toward clean energy is happening and must happen, it is not happening quickly enough to save our world from changes we don’t want our children and grandchildren to have to live with. Currently, the price of fossil fuels does not reflect their true costs — including the impact on global climate.

Scientists and economists agree that putting a price on carbon as it comes out of the ground or across our borders, returning that revenue to all American households, will send a clear message to the marketplace that fossil fuels are no longer the way to go. Responsible voters must work to build the political will in their representatives to deal with this problem. If we can’t make that happen, the rest of what our politicians are talking about really won’t matter in the end. That is what this election is about.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Election is about our climate future."