Next up in the 2015 Critical Conversation Series – Citizens’ Climate Lobby

On Thursday, August 27 at 7:00 pm, at the Ludwick Center, 864 Santa Rosa St. at Mill in San Luis Obispo, Sharon Rippner, PhD of Citizens’ Climate Lobby will speak on the danger of artificially cheap and profitable fossil fuels. A fee-and-dividend approach to carbon pricing, advocated by former Goddard director James Hansen, former Secretary of State George Shultz, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby, corrects the current fossil fuel economy by forcing extractors to account for their true social costs. Dr. Rippner will explain how fee-and-dividend will internalize the social cost of carbon, rapidly achieve large emission reductions, minimize economic disruption and recruit global participation.  She will make the case that this approach has the best chance of protecting future generations from the worst effects of climate change. To put this innovative solution in context, Dr. Rippner will also talk about expected regional impacts of climate change and the successes and shortcoming of California’s ambitious cap-and-trade system.

Sharon Rippner is a retired psychologist and long-time resident of SLO County. She first became aware of and concerned about global warming over 25 years ago and her concern has steadily grown since then. In early 2013 she heard about a promising avenue for citizen action on the issue, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and immediately joined with two other people to found the San Luis Obispo chapter of this organization.

Doors open at 6:30, talk begins at 7:00 with Q&A, discussion and next steps after. $5 donation suggested. For more information:  info@ecologistics.org or call (805) 548-0597.