If Sightline could only do one thing for a sustainable Northwest, we’d put a price on carbon pollution—on the emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases. Doing so would speed the entire regional economy through the transition from coal, oil, and other dirty fossil fuels to clean, efficient, renewable energy. It would also help stem or reverse sprawl, breathe life into alternatives to the automobile, clean the air and water, and keep local dollars circulating locally. Forces are now aligning to focus North American momentum for carbon pricing in Oregon and Washington, which stand between British Columbia, with its carbon tax, and California, with its carbon cap. Editor’s note: Sightline’s pre-2014 research on carbon pricing can be found in this series.

• New to the idea of carbon pricing to make polluters pay for their pollution? Start here with our series of helpful explainers on what carbon pricing really means.
• Then, learn about Cascadia’s own carbon pricing efforts.
• Finally, learn about carbon pricing efforts outside of Cascadia that are informing our work in the Pacific Northwest region.

Courtesy of Sightline Institute