One of the pastors at our church has followed this blog and its growth.  She asked me to write a summary for the church newsletter.  My submission follows.
                  
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People often ask, "What can I do to help solve global warming" and "what can I do to reduce our dependence on foreign oil?"

These are extremely important questions for many reasons including these two:

     1 - U.S. citizens are by far the largest emitters (per person) of greenhouse gases.

     2 - Although our elected representatives continue jockeying in efforts to solve the problems we created in Iraq, nothing significant is being done to reduce the root cause of the war  - our thirst for energy.  We currently import over 60% of the oil we use very day.  Yes, "we're addicted to oil" (as you know, not my quote).

What can we do?  Sure, adding insulation to our attics, installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, buying hybrid vehicles and similar actions are all helpful.  But, unfortunately, the actions of the environmentally active few is  a drop in a lake (statistically).  Certainly worthwhile, but it won't get us where we need to be.

What to do?
Change the "rules of the game" and let the market decide.  There IS a silver bullet solution: 

     Lower federal income tax rates and make up the revenue by instituting a BTU tax on non-renewable energy.

For individuals and families, this tax shift would be as close to cost-neutral as possible.  A BTU tax is a tax on the energy content of an energy source.  This BTU tax on non-renewable energy sources would increase the price of gasoline, diesel, heating oil, natural gas, and electricity from all fossil fuels (including coal) and nuclear power.  And yet, the amount of tax you pay to the federal government each year would be similar to what it is now.

This is not a new idea, but it is an idea whose time has come.  See, "Taking the tax off our seats" at http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/05-20/economics-environmental-sustainability-article.htm about Lester Brown, the founder and President of the Earth Policy Institute.

This tax shift should be phased-in over at least a 10-year period to allow individuals and businesses to plan, to allow for market adjustment, and to minimize possible inflation.  For the amount of a tax shift is needed, see "How much of a tax shift?" (May 5, 2007) in the blog at www.solve4biggies.com.

Benefits of this tax shift include:

     Conservation:  higher prices for non-renewable energy will provide a strong incentive for all to conserve.

     Provide a stimulus for the renewable energy industry:  entire tiers of renewable energy projects would become economically viable.

     Leadership role by the U.S. in solving global warming:  instead of current strategy of sticking our head in the sand.

To promote this phased-in federal tax shift, I started a blog (www.solve4biggies.com) in February 2007 after having no success getting several op-ed pieces published in a national newspaper.  Entries are added to the blog Sunday and Wednesday evenings.  Current readership is over 500 views/week and is climbing steadily.  For an overview click on 1 _Shift Federal Taxes <----- (solution overview - first post)  and   2 _The Whole Enchilada <--(summary) -- located in the center of the left-hand side of the blog's opening page.

Please visit the blog, read and comment on the entries, subscribe (bottom left-hand side) to receive updates, and tell others about this federal tax shift concept (especially your elected federal representatives, other blogs, and the main stream media).

The goal of the blog is to raise awareness of tax shifting and its benefits, and to gain grass roots inertia so our federal elected representatives enact a tax shift.

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So.......the answer to, "What can I do to help solve global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil?"  Support, in action and word, a phased-in federal tax shift from income to non-renewable energy.

Thanks for reading.