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Some say it is unfair to target oil and gas companies because many other products contribute to climate change. Other industries, such as coal producers, should also be held responsible for the impacts of climate change. However, this is a reason to send more letters, not fewer.

Others say it is unfair to hold oil and gas companies accountable for the actions of consumers. This misses the point. Holding these companies accountable should not be viewed as a punishment. Rather, it is a way to encourage these companies to incorporate the financial impacts of climate change into the price of their products. Because increased costs imposed on oil and gas companies ultimately will be passed on to consumers, this will reduce overall consumption over time.

Fully accounting for the costs of climate change will undoubtedly impact employment, corporate profits and associated tax revenues. These short-term challenges have to be weighed against the crushing long-term costs we are facing. Our economy will inevitably need to adapt to lower oil and gas revenues, profits and related employment over time and we must assist those undergoing the transition.

While some people have called us hypocrites, it isn’t hypocritical at all to advocate for measures that will apply to everyone, including one self. Climate change is a collective problem requiring collective action. We must seek to ensure that all of us who consume oil and gas pay the true costs of these products and have the incentives to reduce the impacts.