During this election season, people need to bear in mind the attitude of candidates toward enacting policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat accelerating planetary warming.

There are several market-based ideas aimed at curbing carbon emissions currently under discussion by members of Congress from both parties, industry leaders and climate activists, who find common ground in this urgent situation. One such idea is the “carbon fee and dividend” proposal.

Under that market-based approach to influencing the demand for clean alternatives to carbon fuels, a fee would be charged on carbon-producing fuels to reflect the true external costs of burning them. The proceeds of that fee would be returned directly to American households in the form of a monthly dividend check based on household size. The increased price of fossil fuels would thus be compensated for and American households would be able to spend their dividend as they wish.

Projections resulting from a detailed economic study of the proposal indicate that the majority of low- and middle-class households would come out ahead financially from that dividend.

The assumption is that new jobs will be created in the alternative energy industry, as well as in health care, since new discretionary household cash would be used for currently neglected health care.

Anyone in Maine’s 2nd U.S. Congressional district might want to explore the candidates’ attitudes toward this and/or other constructive, creative solutions to the climate quandary we are in. Members of Congress should take climate change seriously.

Cynthia Stancioff, Chesterville