In searching for truth about climate change, I focus on finding consensus among reputable people.

Once a science student, I’m confident in which scientists to listen to. But for those not sure, I pass on the advice: If you don’t want to listen to scientists, listen to farmers, to the ocean, fishermen, trees, hunters, the state of Maine. They say things are changing and warming. Green crabs don’t need research. They just go where water is warm.

As for what to do about climate change, I focus even more on who to listen to.

Fortunately there is growing consensus across political boundaries on an emissions-reducing strategy.

James Hansen, Henry Paulson and Paul Krugman believe the best thing the U.S. could do is implement a carbon tax. Nobel prize-winning Krugman recently wrote (New York Times, June 22), “Every economist I know would start cheering wildly if Congress voted in a clean, across-the-board climate tax.”

A Regional Economic Models economic forecasting study shows a U.S. carbon tax would add 2.1 million jobs and $80 billion annually to the gross domestic product, or GDP.

Hansen says the single most important thing you can do to combat climate change is join the Citizens Climate Lobby, which advocates a revenue neutral carbon tax (aka, fee and dividend) — no growing government; no complexity; market-based.

The Citizens Climate Lobby found that two-thirds of American households would financially benefit, most being those with lower income.

Laurie Sproul, Canton