Peter Monro’s Feb. 26 column provides an important insight: No matter how good Maine’s climate policies and actions are, nationwide emissions dwarf those produced in our state. Therefore, what we need is a federal policy to curb emissions.

Monro further notes that the membership of our senators, Angus King and Susan Collins, in the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus gives Maine (that’s us!) an outsized opportunity to influence federal policy.

If we are concerned about the devastating consequences of climate disruption, we must let our congressional representatives know that we want a federal policy that is effective, fair, realistic and economically beneficial.

A policy known as carbon cash back pricing or carbon fee and dividend fits that description. This policy is elegant in its simplicity, directly targets the source of emissions and helps accelerate the transition to renewable energy that is underway. Key to the success of carbon pricing is “cash back.” This means that the fees collected from the carbon price are paid out equally to all U.S. households, thereby reducing impacts on low- and middle-income people.

I encourage individuals and organizations that truly want to work for a habitable planet to support a federal price on carbon. For more information, go to citizensclimatelobby.org. Better yet, find your local chapter at the website and learn how you can help.

Bonnie Sammons
Belgrade