How a carbon tax may end America's dependence on coal
Florida Congressman Francis Rooney (R) is supporting legislation to revive the carbon tax and end America's dependence on coal.
The bipartisan bill, co-led by Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch of Florida and the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and Democratic, is a market-driven incentive to move toward natural gas.
“I don’t think we need to be burning coal when we have abundant natural gas which is five times as clean so the carbon tax is a way to basically price coal out and incentivize the use of cleaner fuels,” Rooney said during an interview with FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on Tuesday.
The proposed law taxes the use of fossil fuels based on how much carbon is emitted into the air. As more carbon is emitted, the higher the tax burden.
“I think the more market oriented carbon tax is a better way to address the interest in dealing with the human aspects of climate change which polls very strongly,” Rooney said.
Climate change has been a hot button political issue with New York Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sounding the alarm that the planet will see its destruction in 12 years if climate change is not addressed.
“I don’t think we can pick and arbitrate time when the planet is not going to exist anymore,” Rooney said. “But I do think we can work to arrest the decline in glaciers and the increase acid in the water.”
Rooney notes that the increase in atmospheric CO2 since the industrial revolution has harmful consequences for the oceans.
“We have a real problem down here with the threat of sea level rise which is directly linked to acidification in the water,” he said on “Varney & Company.”
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The Carbon Tax Bill is expected to take effect starting June 1.