Nevada State Medical Association supports national carbon pricing   https://t.co/MHm1HLnFIc

— NSMA (@NVStateMedical) February 14, 2022

Nevada State Medical Association supports national carbon pricing

The NSMA is the “home of organized medicine” in Nevada.  See https://nvdoctors.org/ for details.

On February 14, the NMSA released the:

February 14, 2022 – Nevada State Medical Association (NSMA) has declared their support for federal carbon pricing legislation. Carbon pricing legislation was also introduced to the House on April 1, 2021, in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307).

Carbon pricing is a business fee on coal, oil, and natural gas when it is extracted (as close as possible to the mine or well) or when it is imported (port of entry). The fee is based on the carbon dioxide (CO2) the fuel would release into the atmosphere when burned. The revenue collected could be sent back to American families to cover the cost of rising energy prices and help them transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Carbon pricing is not the same as a cap and trade program, which must be managed by a government agency and can only cover large polluters, leaving millions of small ones untouched.

“Climate change is a public health emergency that already has a large and adverse impact on our patients’ health today, and this effect will continue to grow and accelerate unless meaningful action is taken. Some of these threats include air quality impacting lung and heart health, transmission of disease through poor water quality or insects, and extreme weather events filling hospitals and displacing populations while contributing to physical and mental trauma. In addition, death rates due to chronic illnesses increase in proportion to rising ambient temperatures, particularly in the summer months. As physicians we always strive to advocate for our patients, and understanding the vast health implications of unchecked climate change as well as the positive impact of a well-designed carbon pricing initiative, the NSMA House of Delegates passed this resolution to ‘indicate organizational support for federal carbon pricing legislation that is bipartisan and achieves a rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emission’,” said Dr John Anderson, an ER physician and chair of the NSMA Public Health Commission.

The American Medical Association, along with over 100 American health organizations, recommends that we “put a price on carbon that reflects its true social costs and phase out investments in and subsidies for fossil fuels for energy extraction and generation.” One way to put a price on carbon is to pass The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This policy will reduce America’s carbon pollution 50% by 2030, putting us on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As it does so, it will also save lives by reducing the pollution that Americans breathe, and it will put money into Americans’ pockets with a monthly carbon dividend or “carbon cash back.” So far, 94 members of Congress have signed on in support of this legislation, including Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV).

Nevada State Medical Association joins hundreds of organizations representing nearly 20 business sectors who support carbon pricing. Here in Nevada, carbon pricing has been endorsed by 57 local organizations. National organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund, World Resources Institute, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Alliance for Market Solutions and more have weighed in with supportive comments, too.

Members of the Nevada chapters of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) helped educate the Nevada State Medical Association about carbon pricing and encouraged them to support it.

“I’m so thankful to the Nevada State Medical Association for supporting national carbon pricing, which will help my generation have a healthy climate,” said Katelyn Niswonger, a local CCL volunteer who is a UNLV biology student and lifetime Las Vegas resident.

Here in Nevada, we’re already feeling the impact of climate change. Wildfires in northern Nevada last summer covered the area with wildfire smoke. As a result, air quality ranged from hazardous to very dangerous, resulting in school closures and flight cancellations. “Las Vegas is one of the fastest warming cities in the nation, and we now average over 80 days per year with temperatures over 100 degrees F. Extreme heat threatens lives of vulnerable people and increases heart- and lung-damaging air pollution,” said Joanne Leovy, leader of the Las Vegas CCL chapter. “We’re ready for Congress to put a price on carbon fuels, and so is the Nevada State Medical Association.”