Don’t mess with Mother Nature

Years ago, Chiffon margarine commercials warned us, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” Recent reports of starving sea lion pups, mass invasions of jellyfish, coral bleaching and unusually large and persistent algae blooms indicate that we are now fooling around with Mother Nature on a massive scale.

As Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington put it, “We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation who can do something about it.”

We need legislation to address this problem now, but not the complicated, opaque cap-and-trade kind that allows for gaming the system, or makes average Americans foot most of the bill. We need a gradually increasing carbon pollution fee that’s returned to every American. This plan is advocated by many economists, including eight Nobel Prize winners.

Studies estimate it will create 2.8 million jobs, and add $75-80 billion annually to our gross domestic product, while middle and lower income Americans will actually see their incomes rise.

We have a whole lot to lose if we continue messing with Mother Nature – and much more to gain by treating the lady with respect.

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 9:13 AM with the headline "Don’t mess with Mother Nature."