Lunia Oriol is a senior studying Climate and Meteorology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She was born and raised in Alaska, where she was instilled with a strong interest in environmental preservation, climate science, and energy policy.

In early August, Washtenaw county leaders set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The county must ‘transition away from carbon-intensive transportation to public and carbon-neutral transit’ and acknowledge that communities of people of color have ‘historically borne the brunt of the extractive fossil-fuel economy’.

These leaders know that climate change is here, it is visible, and we need to take immediate action to transition away from carbon-intensive infrastructure to an equitable, carbon-neutral society. We must work with our congressional representatives and our communities to push for national legislation that will set the stage for transformative change.

Here is where the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) comes into play. By placing a fee on carbon, this bill would produce a 40% reduction in emissions in just 12 years. It would create millions of jobs - stimulating economic growth - and put aid into the pockets of millions of American households through a carbon dividend. H.R. 763 is the most actionable and holistic approach we can take to combating climate change, but the only way it will be passed is from our united efforts. What you can do today is urge your representatives to support this bill?