What if the corporations contributing to the climate crisis were forced to pay to fix the mess they helped create? Rhode Island is proposing a new bill that would make dirty energy companies pay for climate-related damages rather than passing the cost onto taxpayers.
As per the Providence Journal , the proposed “Climate Superfund” bill would total the state’s climate-related expenses since 2009 and require dirty energy companies to cover their share. This could cover costs like repairing roads damaged by coastal storms or upgrading stormwater systems to handle more frequent downpours.
“This bill seeks to make polluters pay for the damage that they have caused,” said Rep. Jennifer Boylan, one of the bill’s sponsors. “In Rhode Island, climate change is not a distant threat. It’s happening right now.” She pointed to extreme weather , rising insurance costs , and mounting infrastructure expenses as burdens taxpayers shouldn’t have to bear alone…