Dear Editor:
I recently watched “Bad Tidings”, a documentary about the residents of Sea Bright, New Jersey, after Hurricane Sandy. It explores their decisions to rebuild and discusses their ability to adapt to climate change in a town that experts predict will be underwater in 50 years. It paints a bleak picture for Sea Bright and other coastal communities, like Hoboken, Jersey City, and Weehawken if we don’t do something to mitigate climate change.
Fortunately, however, there’s hope. On Nov. 27, two Republicans and three Democrats in Congress introduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2018 (H.R.7173) to bring climate change under control. Another Republican has since joined as a cosponsor. This bipartisan bill would reduce America’s emissions by at least 40 percent in twelve years. It’s both good for people and the economy: reducing air pollution will improve health and save lives, the carbon dividend puts money directly into people’s pockets every month, and it will create 2.1 million jobs over the next 10 years. Finally, this bill is bipartisan and revenue neutral—that is, all fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to Americans to spend anyway they choose; the government will keep nothing.
For these reasons, I encourage everyone to write to Congressman Albio Sires and Senators Booker and Menendez and ask them to support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2018. This is our best bet to ensure Hoboken and the surrounding cities remain livable in the future.
Nicholas Robinson
