As a scientist and author who has spent more than 30 years working to educate the public about the threat posed by human-caused global warming, I urge all Washingtonians to vote yes on I-732’s revenue-neutral carbon tax.

If you cut through all the debate about approaches to combating climate change, in the end there is only one real solution: because global warming is caused primarily by emissions from fossil fuels, we stop it only by shifting our energy economy to alternative fuels. By far the best way to achieve this is to put a price on carbon that makes up for the hidden subsidies that fossil fuels now enjoy.

With its carbon tax, I-732 addresses the “first, stop the bleeding” mandate of any crisis, and its revenue neutrality has appeal for people across the political spectrum. As a result, I believe it represents the only politically viable path to a carbon-free future. I do not live in Washington myself, but I look forward to seeing I-732 become a model for the rest of the nation as we work together to avert the crisis of climate change.

Jeffrey Bennett

Boulder, Colo.