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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Police reports Kent Bush: Fraud kept alive by the left and right 10 things to know for Wednesday Police reports Alleged Medford robber captured after fleeing Ashland police Education Speech and debate team claims Jean Ward title SOU board names officers, committees Parent files complaint against Ashland schools Learning on the job AHS speech and debate team headed north Environment Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs The top five conservation success of 2014 Protestors want Keystone pipeline plans stopped Business Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? 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Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues ... Our View: Bricks remodel is a smash ... Calendar: Wednesday, Feb. 4 ... Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues ... Our View: Bricks remodel is a smash ... Calendar: Wednesday, Feb. 4 ... CLIMATE CHANGE Oregon Climate proposes carbon cost be redistributed Plan to incentivize green energy pitched at Ashland launch event Comment By John Darling For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 31, 2014 @ 8:06 pm By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 31, 2014 @ 8:06 pm » RELATED CONTENT • City wants to divest fossil fuel investments • Are you concerned or doing anything about climate change? • Taking action here, now on global climate change » Social News People concerned about climate changed are backing a plan to levy a carbon tax on all fossil fuel entering the state of Oregon then, without using any as revenues for governments, refund the entire gigantic amount to taxpayers in an annual check which, it's estimated, would start at about $900 a person and grow over the years. The goal of the so-called "Carbon Fee & Dividend" is to make all carbon-based energy more expensive, thus impelling both consumers and energy interests to move toward renewable energy forms, said Camila Thorndike, executive director of Oregon Climate , in a launch event at Nimbus Apparel, Art and Gifts in Ashland on Oct. 23.  The statewide volunteer organization’s sole mission is to lobby such a “revenue neutral” tax through the 2015 Oregon legislature, said Thorndike, helping to reach the goal of reversing the amount of carbon Oregonians put in the atmosphere by 2017, thus averting “an ecosystem collapse” in the future. Oregon Climate co-founder Dan Golden said, “Climate change is not the problem we’re addressing. The problem is that fossil fuels are too cheap.” Golden told the crowd that when we buy fossil fuels at the pump, we’re engaging in a “pay-to-pollute” arrangement and are not paying the huge costs of hurricanes, floods and droughts caused by greenhouse gases. The carbon tax would reverse that, he said. The fee would more heavily tax the wealthy, who use more energy, Golden said, while the lower two-thirds of people on the economic scale would receive more than they pay and would welcome the annual check. The crowd of about 30 people were called on to swipe cards and write checks at the end of speeches. Donor and real estate broker Barbara Allen said, “You feel helpless about what to do. We have an electric car and walk a lot and have moved to a smaller place to live. This is a really exciting grass roots campaign. Oregon is a green state and a great place to live and we’ve got to make this happen.” Donor and developer Jim Batzer echoed the sentiment, noting “Earth is in danger for our own children and we can’t leave a legacy of a destroyed Earth to them.” Nimbus owner Ken Silverman, who hosted the event, said he is setting up a discount of 20 percent for customers who mention Oregon Climate. State Sen. Alan Bates, a member of the Environment Committee and the budget-writing Ways & Means Committee, said in an interview that a revenue neutral carbon tax will be considered in Salem and, “if all the money is given back to taxpayers, I’m OK with it.” “We have to start somewhere on global weather change,” said Bates. “It will only be a miniscule change, globally speaking, but it will tip other states to start doing it. Ultimately, it has to be a federal program. If they adopt it, it would make a significant difference but the big problem now is the carbon of developing nations, especially India and China.” Oregon Climate will present “Price Pollution, Cut Carbon,” a moderated forum, at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at KOBI-TV, Medford. The panel, presided over by Chris Maples, president of Oregon Institute of Technology, will present a diverse and balanced array of perspectives on Oregon climate policy and “raise awareness of a scientifically viable, economically sound and socially beneficial solution that Oregonians can support to counter a global environmental threat,” according to the group’s website, www.oregonclimate.org. The carbon fee would be applied to oil, gasoline, coal-fired electricity and any carbon fuel entering Oregon, said Natalie Mitchell, Southern Oregon leader for Oregon Climate. Carbon fees paid by energy interests would, of course, be added to what they charge consumers, says Thorndike, a 2005 graduate of Ashland High School. In the first year, consumers would pay about 20 cents a gallon more and receive a $900 refund. “There’s no cap on it,” she notes. “It would go up every year until we price fossil fuels out of use in 20 or 30 years.” The carbon fee is already in use in British Columbia, Ireland, Sweden and other states, in various forms. It was enacted and repealed in Australia. Passage by Oregon, says Thorndike, would motivate the federal government to follow suit. “We really need a national climate policy, to do anything meaningful, either a carbon tax of a cap-and-trade system,” she said. “Without the example of states taking action, Congress is likely to do a messy job with no debate, that will result in repeal. Without this, we don’t keep enough carbon underground and we don’t stop runaway climate change, with lots of hurricanes, floods, droughts.” British Columbia’s fee taxes carbon at $10 a ton, which comes out to 9 cents a gallon of gas, says carbontax.org . The fee is favored by 54 percent of people and is refunded as credits to income or business taxes. Since the tax, gas consumption had gone down 4.5 percent. The fees in Oregon are proposed to be refunded to taxpayers by check, not credited against owed taxes, said Thorndike, because consumers need to feel and experience the money in their hands in order to appreciate their role in the program. Without a carbon tax on energy concerns, she said, they are committing “free pollution” while reaping the usual profits and having no incentive to take responsibility for greenhouse gases. The panel for the December event includes Golden, a chemical engineer; Ian Adams, California director of R Street Institute , a freemarket conservative think tank; a local farmer and a social justice advocate. By John Darling For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 31, 2014 @ 8:06 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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