OPINION: CARBON FEE AND DIVIDEND IS STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Nicholas Lamontagne

He/Him

Contributor

3/26/24

Before I begin, there is a question I would like to ask all the readers: “What have you done personally that has made a difference in the world?” Plymouth State University’s Common Ground sustainability club provides an opportunity for those who want to see change and attack the problem of carbon emissions and global warming at the source. This is the movement called the “Carbon Fee and Dividend Movement.”  

The basic rundown of this movement is it will require the big fossil fuel companies to pay a fee anytime they want to mine harmful resources. This is projected to, in turn, affect the prices of all goods that require fossil fuels. For those who have concerns about this, CFD is the most effective climate policy at the moment. 

The government will disperse the money collected from these big money-making companies straight to the people in the form of small dividends. The word “dividend,” a noun, is a sum of money that is paid in regular quarters, by a company to its shareholders out of its own profits or reserves.  

The best part is this money will be evenly distributed between all citizens. The dividend would cover cost increases for 85% of U.S. households, including 95% of the least wealthy. Fees imposed on the companies will continue to rise until the environmental standards are met. 

CFD is meant to make an impact in the long term. We hope to see reductions in Co2 emissions by 2030 and reach a net 0 by 2050. The main goal for this movement is to slowly nudge everyone in the direction of a cleaner and greener tomorrow. We also hope that other nations catch on to CFD and do the same in the future.  

I’m not going to sugarcoat this. The fact of the matter is: humans are stupid, and we have all done some stupid things no matter the generation. The things that we have done to harm our planet are jaw-dropping. People are releasing billions of tons of planet-warming gasses in the United States alone. Our country is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world, having produced more than any other country to date, reaching 4,941 million metric tons in 2022. 

If you are worried about being alone in this, you don’t have to worry anymore. CFD is supported by schools across the eastern U.S., including Norco College in California, Yale University in Cincinnati, the University of Florida, and many more in the works. If you are interested in supporting this, all you have to do is spread the word whenever and wherever people are willing to listen. It is our time to rise and take the torch that is the charge and responsibility of the safekeeping of our small blue planet. Will you rise? 

Nicholas Lamontagne, class of 2027, is an interdisciplinary studies major, Eagle Scout, aspiring firefighter, and member of PSU Common Grounds, a student environmental and social justice organization.