Listen to our children

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich calls for a price on carbon to address the climate crisis, July 8, 2019.

If our children can see so clearly how important it is-how desperately urgent it is-to fight for the future of our planet, why on Earth can't our nation's leaders here in Washington? It's long past time for us to think through substantive solutions that can move us away from the carbon pollution that is causing the climate crisis.

I am focused on implementing real and pragmatic solutions to eliminate our carbon pollution. That includes legislation I introduced earlier this year with Senators Brian Schatz and Sheldon Whitehouse that would finally put a price on carbon. Our bill would reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 51 percent by 2029 compared to 2005 levels. It would simultaneously generate an estimated $2.3 trillion over 10 years to boost the economy and aid American workers and consumers.

Our climate crisis often feels too big, too complex, and too hard to fix. However, the scientific fact is: we have created this crisis and we possess the creativity and the tools to fix it. We know that to meet our climate goals and limit the damage wrought by the climate crisis, we must immediately change our trajectory and move toward an economy run 100 percent on clean energy.

Our kids understand better than even most of us that to meet this challenge, we need to act urgently and decisively.