Climate change is one of the major issues that is affecting everyone around the world. From heavy pollutants causing the rise of the Earth’s overall temperatures, the drastic amount of plastic waste in our oceans, and fracking that occurs in the United States. But no one seems to have a clear plan on how to stop climate change.

In 2016, the United States signed the Paris Climate Agreement, which states that all nations that have signed will aim to keep the global temperature from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius due to greenhouse gas emissions and to work together to solve problems that climate change as created. Once President Trump came into office, he removed the United States from this agreement. Although, the Paris Agreement was groundbreaking for serious climate action it lacked a clear plan on how to lower emissions.

But there is a clear plan called the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which is a bipartisan bill that was created in the House of Representatives. This bill would place a fee of fifteen dollars per metric tonne on carbon at the source. Then the fee would be raised by ten dollars each year. This would place a “tax” on carbon and require polluters to pay for their emissions. This would start the transition to clean energy sources.

Once this fee is collected it will be returned equally to American households. Allowing the American people to adjust to clean energy sources and a green economy. This plan would create 2.1 million jobs, cut American emissions by at least forty percent in the first twelve years, and help the health of the American people.

Climate change will have serious and deadly consequences if we fail to act on it. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act provides a clear plan to lower emissions thus stopping the deadly effects of climate change.

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