I am writing in response to an unsolicited 8½-inch by 12-inch plastic card mailing I received recently from the nonprofit organization Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance requesting that I call State Representative Jennifer Benson to ask her to stop her legislative efforts to get a carbon tax passed in Massachusetts. Recipients of this mailing were told pictorially that instead of paying a carbon tax the first year they would be able to make such purchases as a big screen TV.
There are overwhelming reasons why we should support Rep. Benson’s legislative efforts (H.2810). Climate change is number one! We are at risk of destroying the very world that sustains us. Unless we act immediately to reverse our actions, we will be responsible for creating an uninhabitable world for our children and our grandchildren. H.2810 is An Act To Promote Green Infrastructure And Reduce Carbon Emissions. It puts a price on carbon pollution and invests revenue in local clean transportation, resiliency, and renewable energy projects. It complements the federal Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008, which requires Massachusetts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 and 50% by 2050, necessitating a dramatic shift from fossil fuels to clean energy.
In the tumultuous 1960s, our country was able to come together to pass both federal and state legislation for clean water and clean air. Massachusetts took the lead then by being the first state in our country to pass anti-water-pollution legislation. Once again, Massachusetts residents must rise to the challenge by joining together to reduce our carbon imprint and help sustain life on earth. This is not a partisan issue. This is a life or death issue.
Marion Stoddart
Autumn Ridge Drive, Ayer
