Local vote to get Congress to acknowledge climate change, pass carbon tax

Councilman says acting now is critical 

A La Crosse city council committee vote tonight on an issue that seems well outside the bounds of normal city business.

A resolution to call on Congress to pass a carbon tax as a way to combat global warming.

From the campus area, city council rep. Patrick Brever says the move comes as there appears to be little appetite for tackling the climate change issue in Washington.

“We are the government closest to the people, and I think it’s important for them to hear from us on this level,” Brever said.

A carbon tax is meant to increase the cost of fossil fuel use to more accurately reflect the impact those fuels have on the changing global climate.

Brever says the need to act on climate change is critical, even if it’s just by the city council voting on a resolution.

“If they’re not going to make or take action up at the highest levels of government, then I think we have a responsibility to step in and advocate for that change ourselves,” Brever said. “This is an issue that’s only going to get more pertinent as time goes by, so it’s important to make a commitment to acknowledge that climate change exists now.”

The resolution would not just acknowledge climate change exists, but recognize that humans are mostly responsible.