What Must Happen Now To Forestall Global Warming
Two words, Carbon Tax. It has to happen now, and even a conservative Cato Institute Libertarian has come around.
Jerry Taylor, a longtime veteran of the libertarian think tank Cato Institute who recently founded his own libertarian organization, the Niskanen Center, is a vocal proponent of this perspective. About five or six years ago, he says, he was convinced by a series of discussions, mainly with other right-leaning thinkers, that he was wrong on climate policy. His position "fundamentally switched."
In March, he released a new policy brief, "The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax," which argues for a steadily rising "revenue-neutral" fee on fossil fuel producers. Aside from a small portion set aside to cushion low-income households, all the revenue would be devoted to reducing other taxes.
The carbon tax must be imposed as soon as possible if we are to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. Now even a conservative is making the case, The longer it takes for this happen, the worse it's going to be. The reason for it is simple. Suppose a factory was discharging toxic waste into a river. The people depending on that river for water or livelihood will have to remove that waste which will cost money. That cost should rightly be borne by the factory, and by the people who use the products generated by that factory. In other words, the owner of the factory must deal with the waste and add the cost to the price of their products. It is the same with the generation of carbon dioxide.
It is the right, the just, the proper thing to do so, that the people who are generating the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, should pay for it. The money for that tax would go for alternative energy, and would impose a deterrent on its production. It is the only solution. Without it are dire consequences, consequences within our lifetimes and the lifetimes of our children.
Jerry Taylor, a longtime veteran of the libertarian think tank Cato Institute who recently founded his own libertarian organization, the Niskanen Center, is a vocal proponent of this perspective. About five or six years ago, he says, he was convinced by a series of discussions, mainly with other right-leaning thinkers, that he was wrong on climate policy. His position "fundamentally switched."
In March, he released a new policy brief, "The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax," which argues for a steadily rising "revenue-neutral" fee on fossil fuel producers. Aside from a small portion set aside to cushion low-income households, all the revenue would be devoted to reducing other taxes.
The carbon tax must be imposed as soon as possible if we are to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. Now even a conservative is making the case, The longer it takes for this happen, the worse it's going to be. The reason for it is simple. Suppose a factory was discharging toxic waste into a river. The people depending on that river for water or livelihood will have to remove that waste which will cost money. That cost should rightly be borne by the factory, and by the people who use the products generated by that factory. In other words, the owner of the factory must deal with the waste and add the cost to the price of their products. It is the same with the generation of carbon dioxide.
It is the right, the just, the proper thing to do so, that the people who are generating the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, should pay for it. The money for that tax would go for alternative energy, and would impose a deterrent on its production. It is the only solution. Without it are dire consequences, consequences within our lifetimes and the lifetimes of our children.
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