According to an article from the Associated Press (“EU lawmakers adopt deals on emissions trading, carbon tax,” April 18), the European Union has put in place a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) that will make U.S. exports of energy-intensive products such as steel, cement and aluminum more expensive if the U.S. doesn’t have a similar CBAM in place.

To quote the article: “’Importers of these goods would have to pay any price difference between the carbon price paid in the country of production and the price of carbon allowances in the EU ETS,” lawmakers said.”

This is bad news; but it could be good news if the U.S. had a carbon tax and CBAM of its own. That’s because we already have the means of production for energy-intensive goods that are much more efficient than the rest of the world. So our products would compete well in a global marketplace.

The trouble is, we don’t have either a carbon tax or a CBAM. Citizens’ Climate Lobby has been pushing a “carbon cashback” process that places an increasing tax on carbon emissions, collects the money and returns it to all Americans as a monthly dividend. For most of the population, the dividend will more than offset the increased cost of carbon-based products like gasoline and heating oil/gas. And the legislation includes a CBAM.

Learn more at https://www.carboncashback.org/carbon-cash-back, and let senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Congressman Mike Kelly know you want a carbon cashback tax and CBAM for the U.S.

Bruce Cooper, group leader

Citizens’ Climate Lobby Slippery Rock chapter