Random thoughts

1 response so far ↓

• 1 Gerald // Jan 7, 2009 at 5:45 pm

  I’ve always been a proponent of a gas or carbon tax, but of course, in these United States, that is the one sure-fire way to commit political suicide. That is, until I came across an editorial in NewScientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026855.800-yes-you-can-change-the-climate-mr-obama.html):

  ‘Your advisers will tell you this is political suicide: the last thing we need in a global financial crisis is higher fuel prices. Well, here’s the clever bit that should make this tax popular with most voters: every penny raised from the carbon tax should be divided equally among a country’s citizens. This is called the “tax and 100-per-cent dividend” approach, and it is advocated by leading climate scientist James Hansen of NASA.” ‘

  This way, the average American will not actually be spending more on gas or energy, only the guys that use more do. The guys that use less will actually spend less. And no-one can say that you are increasing government spending.