LETTER: A genius solution to global warming

In response to “Cooper signs on to Paris climate change pact,” (June 6): Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum to place it on, and I can move the world.” We have the lever and fulcrum that can save the world. We just need to start using it.The threat is global warming. Forget Paris. We have a much simpler, faster, more effective, proven, realistic, bi-partisan/conservative solution with a global “domino” effect which will jump-start a multi-trillion-dollar economic boom while swiftly phasing out fossil fuels.It works on the principle of self-interest. It doesn’t ask anyone to give up anything or make any sacrifices — except for polluting fossil fuel corporations. It makes them pay an escalating carbon pollution fee, all of which goes to every taxpayer in equal monthly “carbon dividend” checks. And the amount of those checks keeps going up every year.This will create over 5 million good-paying, permanent (40-year), local U.S. jobs and many million more in associated jobs while increasing our gross domestic product $75-80 billion annually. Solar and wind have been growing at 12 times the national average for the past five years (DOE) and employs about five to nine times the number of people fossil fuels do to produce the same amount of energy, while clean energy costs keep dropping exponentially.Coal is never coming back. King Coal was killed by cheaper natural gas and now cheaper solar and wind is coming for natural gas. It’s reached grid parity in at least 20 states already.We really can save the world while making the vast majority of Americans financially better off with this simple policy. It’s genius.Lynn GoldfarbLancaster, Pennsylvania