BY BRIAN ANDERSON AND ERIKA SHRINER

On April 29, we had the opportunity on Bainbridge Island to hear some long-awaited good news on climate change.

We’re well aware of the bad news.

Last year was the hottest year on record, the first three months of 2015 qualified as the hottest winter on record, and a large part of the U.S. is suffering from massive droughts which will have negative impacts on our country’s food supply.

Reports of glacial melting on Antarctica are just plain frightening for coastal communities directly affected by rising sea levels. And this is just the beginning of a climate headed toward changes that will make life increasingly challenging for us humans if solutions are not implemented now.

Congress is too polarized to pass climate change legislation and our state Legislature seems to be held captive by a few climate deniers who have fallen under the control of coal and oil interests.

But in Washington state something very hopeful is in the works that is nonpartisan and has been proven to measurably reduce carbon emissions, the primary contributor to climate change. Because it is transparent in its design and administration and satisfies environmentalists and the interests of taxpayers and businesses, it can be easily adopted by other states.

The proposed Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax would place a $25 tax per metric ton on carbon emissions and use the money generated to reduce taxes for both citizens and businesses. This rather painless solution to climate change would increase prices for gasoline, and electricity and heating generated from coal, oil and natural gas while lowering our state sales tax from 6.5 percent to 5.5 percent.

Additionally it would essentially eliminate the B&O tax on manufacturers and provide an income supplement to low-income working families who pay a disproportionate amount for gasoline and utilities.

The Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax initiative is modeled after the highly successful program in British Columbia which has reduced carbon emissions by 16 percent since 2008 while the rest of Canada experienced a 3 percent rise. GDP had a slightly higher increase during the same period in British Columbia than the average in other provinces disproving the critics who said a carbon tax would hurt business.

Supporters of the initiative are excited by the potential of the program to spur more green energy development and job creation. Numerous studies have shown that there are many more jobs in non-polluting energy sources such as wind and solar than in fossil fuels.

Carbon Washington is the state-wide sponsor of this voter initiative.  Carbon Washington is a citizen-led and citizen-funded organization. The primary author of the initiative is Yoram Bauman, an economist whose ideas played a part in the development of the program in British Columbia.

“Citizens Climate Lobby has been working nationally to get carbon fee and dividend legislation passed,” Peggi Erickson, a local lobby leader, said recently, “but action on climate change by the U.S. Congress takes a long time. Local action by citizens in Washington state to pass a revenue-neutral carbon tax could become a model for the rest of the nation.”

Climate Action Bainbridge and the Bainbridge chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby are actively collecting signatures starting this month to put the initiative on the ballot in 2016. Carbon Washington’s goal is to collect 315,000 signatures statewide by the end of the year.

On Wednesday, April 29, the public is invited to an informational event, “Climate Game Changer,” at 7 p.m. at the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church. Dr. Bauman will explain the Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax and answer questions. A wine-and-dessert reception will follow. The event is sponsored by Climate Action Bainbridge, Citizens Climate Lobby and Sustainable Bainbridge.

This is a chance not only to hear about a pragmatic solution to climate change, but become part of making a Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax a reality in Washington state.

Brian Anderson is the chairman and Erika Shriner is on the Steering Committee of Climate Action Bainbridge.