Why not a simple revenue-neutral modest carbon tax? And for countries who do not have a similar paradigm, an import tariff equal to the equivalent embedded CO2.
It appears much of the world (other than the US) is now headed in this direction.
It's an interesting article and is worth reading in full. But my takeaway from it is "environmentalists, and particularly wonky highly scientific environmentalists, are junior members of the liberal coalition. Their role in the liberal coalition is to follow policy and add support to it. Their coalition members are not interested in narrow environmental initiatives like a revenue-neutral carbon tax."
So liberals sink modest wonky proposals like a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Conservatives sink giant omnibuses that include environmental stuff in a package with redistribution and social justice stuff. End result: no environmental legislation.
Thanks for the link and the blog post - the climate justice split is affecting efforts in Colorado as well.
However, my impression is that the Washington initiative from the Vox article would have performed well in Colorado, as it tends to lean more pragmatic/conservative pro-environment.
Everyone with any brains and/or ethics wanted a carbon tax 15 years ago. But straight taxes don't offer nearly the opportunity for graft and corruption. Which, if looking at the investments of the major players tells us anything, is exactly why we didn't get a carbon tax even climate change skeptics would have been cool with.
> an import tariff equal to the equivalent embedded CO2.
That's an impossible number to calculate. For example: A plant powered entirely by solar cells. Do you tax them for the CO2 embedded in manufacturing those solar cells?
How far down do you go? Do you have to calculate the CO2 emitted by your employees via the money you pay them? Because if you don't your wage costs are lower than wages costs in the US, where you have to pay your employees extra to cover CO2 taxes.
Also, don't forget to give American manufacturers CO2 tax credit for exports, or you will make American exporting too expensive.
But doing that leads to the insane result that shipping American goods overseas, buying it there, then shipping it back, is cheaper than buying it locally. (No one pays tariffs on small imports when you buy on Ebay for example, only bulk imports are taxed.)
That's why "why not" - it's simply too complicated. (I'm all for it mind you, if it could be done. But I don't think it can be done.)
Go and speak with people living around glaciers. ie. Argentina,Chile,Peru.
Ask for 5 years old pictures. Compare with present and optionaly with your excel.
These temperatures are for North Pole Fairbanks Alaska. It's not "The North Pole", it's also not even in the Arctic Circle.In fact if you look at the first picture in the linked article, you'll see how the deltas they're referring to are not the case in Alaska. (And the temperature in the middle of Alaska doesn't have much bearing on Arctic sea ice).
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[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 54.4 ms ] threadIt appears much of the world (other than the US) is now headed in this direction.
http://www.vox.com/2016/10/18/13012394/i-732-carbon-tax-wash...
It's an interesting article and is worth reading in full. But my takeaway from it is "environmentalists, and particularly wonky highly scientific environmentalists, are junior members of the liberal coalition. Their role in the liberal coalition is to follow policy and add support to it. Their coalition members are not interested in narrow environmental initiatives like a revenue-neutral carbon tax."
So liberals sink modest wonky proposals like a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Conservatives sink giant omnibuses that include environmental stuff in a package with redistribution and social justice stuff. End result: no environmental legislation.
I have a blog post going into more detail on the subject here: https://sandoratthezoo.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/scientific-e...
However, my impression is that the Washington initiative from the Vox article would have performed well in Colorado, as it tends to lean more pragmatic/conservative pro-environment.
That's an impossible number to calculate. For example: A plant powered entirely by solar cells. Do you tax them for the CO2 embedded in manufacturing those solar cells?
How far down do you go? Do you have to calculate the CO2 emitted by your employees via the money you pay them? Because if you don't your wage costs are lower than wages costs in the US, where you have to pay your employees extra to cover CO2 taxes.
Also, don't forget to give American manufacturers CO2 tax credit for exports, or you will make American exporting too expensive.
But doing that leads to the insane result that shipping American goods overseas, buying it there, then shipping it back, is cheaper than buying it locally. (No one pays tariffs on small imports when you buy on Ebay for example, only bulk imports are taxed.)
That's why "why not" - it's simply too complicated. (I'm all for it mind you, if it could be done. But I don't think it can be done.)
paste the table to excel and chart first two columns (we are still to beat warm winters of 1981 and 1985). what is insane it the wapo headline.
EDIT: some relevant photos http://www.peruviantimes.com/20/global-warming-impact-perus-...
Just use the table on that page to sort. 2016 isn't anything extraordinary.
Even junior sysadmin seeing chart[1] like this one in article would say something wrong with the 'system'.
[1] https://img.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp-co...
http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/meant80n.uk.php