TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Hello, I am staunchly against any and all carbon taxes in the state of vermont. Carbox taxes and credits are designed as a secondary currency, which furthers economic discrimination and reduces opportunities for already struggling families to get ahead. Additionally, these "green" energy solutions have known side effects that can be quite dangerous:
- solar panels have been known to leak dangerous chemicals into homes and buildings on which they have been installed
- wind turbines cannot be recycled and are being buried underground
- electric vehicle batteries are being produced by children in countries with lax pr nonexistent child labor laws.

If we really want green energy, the only acceptable resposes are to work toward Tesla's model of free energy, which would also serve to enrich lives by lessening the financial burden of living, or researching thorium-based nuclear energy.

Pollution is a problem. Carbon is not. Any vote for this initiative loses all respect and trust in government from all citizens who see through the chicanery to the disgusting underbelly of what these initiatives will really do - establish complete government control.

How do I access public input once Mou is released Dec 17th? Can you put me on notification of actions list?

Here we go again. A "TAX" on the "rich" that will end up being passed down to the poor via higher costs of everything that requires transportation to get it to your home: not just gas, but food, too! How are renters who cannot use wood fuel, by eqregious insurance regulation, going to pay for heat? How about rising costs of food. Who benefits? Only the metro areas where mass transportation and natural gas pipelines are practical will benefit (well, at least it won't hurt their pockets as much). Now that New Hampshire has said, "NO" to this, good luck to all businesses in other states near the NH border. PLEASE, GOVERNOR SCOTT, TELL THE LEGISLATURE YOU WILL VETO ANY NEW TAX SCHEME!

Governor Scott, please ignore what those folks across the CT river might do and get Vt solidly behind the REGGI transportation initiative. We need you to get us there! Thank you, Gus Speth

A well designed cap and invest program, like a strong TCI, is needed to ensure emissions reductions in the transportation system and will ensure cooperation between all the states in this region to achieve neccessary emissions reductions, and enable these states to direct revenues raised from the program to serve the unique transportation needs of their residents. For example, by designing programs and solutions that serve both rural, urban, and sub-urban regions, which is both possible and essential. The impacts of climate change represent an urgent threat to communities, our economy, public health and people’s quality of life. To stop and reverse these trends, we must reduce emissions in the Transportation sector which generates most of the GHG emissions. TCI offers the best opportunity at this important moment for the Northeast to act collectively to improve mobility and make meaningful reductions in carbon pollution at a regional scale. A comprehensive approach like cap and invest can improve equity by helping to make clean, efficient, cost effective transportation available to everyone.

Hello,

I am writing to urge you and your colleagues to support the Transportation Climate Initiative. I'm sure you're aware of the benefits and the drawbacks of the plan, and I want to encourage you to think of the drawbacks as opportunities that, once overcome, will be a boon for all Vermonters and the planet as a whole.

I understand that the TCI could increase the cost of using fossil fuels for citizens. We should think of a way to keep that from hitting low income Vermonters as hard as it would wealthy Vermonters. I know Gov Scott is very considerate of allowing folks to save and keep their hard earned cash. But would it not be possible to work out a system where, IF Vermonter residents were to pay a bit more, that is was proportionate to ones income level? We shouldn't get hung up on "don't make people pay more" right now. That's a small problem compared to what we face with the climate crisis.

Vermont is already participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This cap and invest program covers the electric sector in the Northeast, and it has proven very successful, reducing consumer costs and carbon pollution from the power sector by 40 percent. Then, Vermont has strategically invested the revenues raised from RGGI, directing the $2 million annually into weatherization programs that help Vermonters stop wasting energy and save money. We could use returns from the TCI to improve energy efficiency, weatherize more homes, improve our public/alternative transportation, etc. These aren't pie in the sky hypothetical outcomes - we can make truly positive change by simply pariticipating in this new initiative.

The price we pay up front to try and keep the world hospitable would most certainly yield a return - in terms of actual cash in our pockets and the assurance that our future generations have a safe place to live. When considering, please remember that there are also many supporters of investing in a greener present and future, and we will work with everyone to make it equitable for all. I happen to work for an organization that serves to reduce energy use for Vermonters, and we specifically work on solutions for low and moderate income folks. This is to say, even if we don't have a set idea how to keep prices as low as possible for Vermonters, we will think of a way. Any minor discomfort around money needs to be met with the acceptance that we MUST clean up our fossil fuel mess, even if there is no easy or cheap way of doing it effectively. But, reducing our consumption WILL save money over time, and is the undisputably right thing for us to do for ourselves and all of earth's inhabitants. Humans are responsible for climate change, and Vermont needs to try harder to change our course.

Thanks for your time. Best wishes for 2020.

Best,

Erin Moriarty
Winooski, VT

the TCI should be engaged provided 1.) the tax isn't regressive, that is that those most able to pay carry the burden, 2.) provided the most basic due diligence is done, that is, that the data that overwhelmingly supports the thesis that it is CO2, one of the fossil fuels combustion products, that is the primary driver of climate, and that this is ascertained and made clear and public 3.) that the CO2 increase constitutes a "climate crisis" demonstrated by data, not just "studies," or hearsay from other sources, that is made public, 4.) that the CO2 increase benefits--greater harvests of all agricultural sorts and others--are out weighed by the damages it causes, 5.) that it's shown that the reduction in CO2 will have a measurable benefit to life and out weigh the benefits that the use of fossil fuels have brought the world and remain to come to those peoples who have lacked these developmental benefits thus far. This is a list of minimum requirements. Others will appear and must also be considered.
And, just to check, please answer this question: "In 1950 there were about 5000 of the climate-crisis pin-up icon, endangered polar bears in the Arctic. Mankind having done nothing to address "Climate Change," the polar bear population has been reduced to...how many polar bears? How many of these threatened, iconic bears are there now in the Arctic/"

Scientists are screaming at the top of their lungs that we are in a crisis.

A sample of recent headlines:
“Climate change: Oceans running out of oxygen as temperatures rise”
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50690995?fbclid=IwAR2Fl4Xz8w3zJXs_lN9Pk5RYzwRHZLAy6_s_E7Aqx6xjPIvrOEdkoaNTF70)

“U.N. chief warns of ‘point of no return’ on climate change”
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/01/climate-change-point-no-return-074610)

“In bleak report, U.N. says drastic action is only way to avoid worst effects of climate change”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/11/26/bleak-report-un-says-drastic-action-is-only-way-avoid-worst-impacts-climate-change/?fbclid=IwAR3uSyLx-bPcrIrc7CXYsJIiNkOATN6WV0LbqHhiegq0Z1Cjgzcg92B7waY)

“World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency”
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biz088/5610806?fbclid=IwAR0VYvHA8g8GeRbrtbwsc7iqLIIeZAJxOO7Xrc8Gqe1Ahp-A7NveFHrT6Gg)

In the face of this, we must do everything possible to reduce fossil fuel use to avoid handing our children a dystopian future. Why must Vermont act when we are such a small state? Because climate change is a collective problem and collective problems can only be solved through collective action - if each small actor decides their contribution is not meaningful, no one will act.

Critical to the TCI is that it raises the price of fossil fuels for transportation - when things are more expensive people use less. There is no more efficient way to get people to use less fossil fuel and no more efficient way to transition the economy way from fossil fuels. This is the uniform conclusion of virtually every economist and every economic group, including the World Bank and the IMF. As the World Bank’s president said ”to our economists, who have been studying this for quite some time, there is an obvious consensus that putting a price on carbon pollution is by far the most powerful and efficient way to reduce emissions.”

However, key to an equitable and durable policy is to use at least some of the revenue to help the working people and the poor, especially in Vermont’s rural areas. This can be done through a targeted carbon dividend to those least able to afford increased fuel prices.