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Michigan Greens Call for Fee-and-Dividend Plan to Let People, Not Corporations, Profit from Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Wed, 01/20/2010 - 20:12 — Lou
100% of Fees to Be Restored to the People;
No Cap-and-Trade Giveaway to Energy Conglomerates
The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) has adopted a resolution supporting collecting fees on fossil fuels based on the amount of carbon in them, with the whole amount collected being paid back to individual users.
GPMI will promote this "fee-and-dividend" approach to reducing carbon dioxide pollution in this year's election campaigns and other activities. The state party will also offer the proposal to the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) for inclusion in this year's national platform.
Art Myatt, current Vice-Chair of GPMI and an engineer working on the manufacture of solar panels, originated the proposal within GPMI. "We believe that resource depletion and excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are two crucial issues which require reduction in the amount of fossil fuels burned," he commented.
"Instead of pursuing war for oil and global economic growth, we need to move in the direction of sustainable, low-carbon local economies.
"A substantial carbon fee, resulting in a substantial dividend, would be a big step for reducing fossil-fuel use and for rebuilding local economies."
Committed to environmentalism, non-violence, social justice and grassroots organizing, Greens are renewing democracy without the support of corporate donors. Greens provide real solutions for real problems. Whether the issue is universal health care, corporate globalization, alternative energy, election reform or decent, living wages for workers, Greens have the courage and independence necessary to take on the powerful corporate interests.
