carbon taxes....
environmentalists.... why do you spend so so so much time trying to figure out what policies will reduce the human carbon footprint.... why do you spend so much time researching.... researching materials with a lower carbon footprint.... researching policies that will reduce the human carbon footprint.... you are doing so much research.... making so many policies.... and with all your effort.... you are having so so so little impact....
eye have a suggestion for you.... a suggestion that will reduce humans carbon footprint.... far far far greater than any policy that you have come up with to date.... many many many of you have been talking about it.... so this is NOT a novel idea.... the problem is.... that none of you have the balls to implement it.... because it will cost you votes.... well.... eye am telling you.... eye will implement it.... and it will NOT cost me votes.... because.... eye will explain it.... and implement it.... in a way.... that people will see the value in it.... in a way.... that it is a far better way than the way all of you yahoos have been trying to fix the envirnoment so far....
the reason that you have been unsuccessful in saving the environment so far.... well.... first of all.... eye question whether you ACTUALLY want to fix it.... because.... fixing it will reduce your problem.... no problems with the environment equals no power for the democrats.... so.... do you actually want to fix things.... the other reason that you will never fix the environment.... is because you have the wrong goals.... you are trying to create jobs for all of your buddies.... you are trying to get and maintain control over everyone.... you enjoy power.... you enjoy telling people what to do.... you enjoy telling people how to live their lives.... rather.... than actually finding solutions....
so.... it will come as no surprise to you.... that eye am proposing the implementation of a carbon tax.... however.... eye would call it a coal tax and a gasoline tax and an oil tax.... because it will be easier to implement this way.... and eye would implement it a pollutant tax.... because eye would tax coal more.... and natural gas less.... because coal puts out many many more pollutants into the air than natural gas.... eye would add a mercury tax on.... so that the tax on coal.... which also contains mercury.... would be far greater than the tax on natural gas.... in my opinion.... it is all of the other chemicals that we are spewing into the environment.... that are the problem.... like mercury.... not carbon.... carbon is not the problem.... it is an easy fix.... if you actually want to fix it.... it is an easy fix....
so.... the trick is.... in the implementation.... the trick is.... to explain to everyone why a carbon tax is better than all of the other shit that the environementalists have been trying so far....
the trick.... it to explain to everyone.... that the current environmental policies are all about control.... the current environmental policies.... are all geared toward controlling your lives.... FORCING you to live the way that the powers that be want you to live.... the pollutant tax.... on the other hand.... would ENCOURAGE you to do the right thing.... it would not force you to do anything.... you get to CHOOSE if and how you want to save the environment.... the choice is ALL yours....
eye want to explain.... the carbon tax.... in my system.... is not a power grap.... it is not about getting my greedy hands on more money.... in implementation.... the carbon tax will be revenue neutral.... it will not be used for the federal government to get its greedy greedy little hands on more money.... the revenue that is brought in with the carbon tax.... will be offset by a reduction in another tax.... the best tax to reduce would be the sales tax.... however.... this tax would be very difficult to reduce.... because it is being implemented by fifty states.... and thousands upon thousands of cities and counties.... so.... the reduction.... the offset.... would probably have to come from a reduction in another tax....
for all of you people who are unfamiliar with the concept of revenue neutral.... eye will explain what this means.... lets say we increase the tax on gasoline to four dollars a gallon.... effectively doubling the cost of gasoline at the pump.... so.... eye spend approximately one hundred and fifty dollars a month on gasoline for my vehicle.... or eighteen hundred a year.... now.... with the new tax.... eye will be paying thirty six hundred dollars a year for gasoline.... if eye make no lifestyle changes.... so eye will be paying eighteen hundred more a year on gasoline.... and.... let us say that eye am the average individual.... and the average individual will be spending eighteen hundred more on gasoline per year.... so the government will be earning eighteen hundred dollars more from every driver in the united states on average.... so here is what eye mean by revenue neutral.... because the government will be making eighteen hundred more from each citizen from the carbon tax.... they also will have to give back eighteen hundred dollars to each citizen in some way.... the easiest way would be to give it back is in a basic income.... write a check to all of us for one hundred and fifty dollar a month.... so the average impact on the average individual is zero.... nada.... nothing.... the average individual will spend one hundred and fifty more per month on gasoline.... and receive one hundred and fifty more each month from a basic income check....
so why do it then.... you ask.... if the net affect is zero.... why do it.... the reason that you do it is two fold.... first.... because there is a cost to the world that is not being paid for when you pay for gasoline.... when you burn gasoline.... it pollutes.... and nobody is paying to clean up that pollution.... the environmentalists call this an externality.... a hidden cost.... that no one pays for.... and so the government is supposed to charge you.... in order to fix the externality.... and they should.... but they rarely do.... and.... they should use this money to clean up the pollution caused by burning gasoline.... to fix the externality.... but they rarely do.... if they charge you for the externality created.... and then rarely use the money to fix the externality.... they use it for their pet projects.... eye will use this money.... to fix the externality.... to clean up the pollution caused by burning gasoline and coal.... eye will use it for nothing else.... eye will demonstrate self-control.... unlike every politician out there.... eye will charge a tax on the externality.... and ONLY use it to fix the externality.... only use the revenue from the tax to clean up the damage caused by burning coal and gasoline....
the second reason to implement a revenue neutral carbon tax.... is to ENCOURAGE people to do the right thing.... and to give YOU the choice.... to give you the ability to decide.... IF.... you even want to save money.... which.... in affect.... will save the environment.... it will lower the global carbon footprint.... but you get to deciede.... IF.... you want to save money.... which by default saves the environment..... AND.... YOU get to decide HOW to save money.... how to save the environment.... for example.... if gasoline cost twice as much.... you might decide to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle..... or.... you might decide to move closer to work.... or.... you might decide to ride your bike everywhere.... but YOU get to decide if and HOW you want to save money.... and the environment.... instead of some premodona deciding for you.... instead of some premodona forcing you to make sacrifices.... you get to decide.... AND.... the bonus.... if you decide to use less gasoline.... you are actually ahead of the game with this policy.... let me explain.... lets say you stop driving.... and you sell your car.... and you use no gasoline.... then you just saved yourself eighteen hundred dollars a year in gasoline expenditures.... and.... eighteen hundred dollars a year in gasoline taxes.... AND.... you are receiving eighteen hundred dollars a year from the basic income.... so.... you are thirty six hundred dollars richer than you would have been if this policy was not implemented....
now.... the way to implement this carbon tax.... is at the source.... and.... on a global level.... it is unfair to only penalize the drivers.... to make them pay for the gas tax at the pump.... and not charge everyone else a gas tax.... it is not fair.... to charge drivers a gas tax on drivers.... and.... to allow al gore to fly around in his private jet.... without paying a gas tax on the feul for his jet.... it is unfair.... for someone to build a multi-billion dollar mansion.... and not pay taxes on the feul that was used to produce all of the material for their mansion.... by charging the carbon tax at the source.... when the feul comes out of the ground.... you are charging EVERYONE for their gas consumption.... and.... you are INFLUENCING everyone.... to conserve.... to make their processes more efficient.... to use less coal and gasoline.... not just drivers....
this policy simplifies everything.... there is no longer a need for environmentalists to create local building codes for the environment.... IF.... feul costs twice as much.... if it costs twice as much to heat a commercial building.... building owners are GOING to find ways to conserve energy.... on their own.... they are going to build more feul efficient buildings.... on their own.... without being told what to do.... AND.... we all know.... that private enterprise is FAR FAR FAR more creative than the government.... when you put the decision in the hands of private industry.... far more creative solutions to the problem are going to materialize....
finally.... the carbon tax needs to be implemented on a global level.... if the united states has a significantly high carbon tax.... and canada does not.... cruise ships and container ships and airlines will fill up their ships and airplanes in canada.... on their way to and from the united states.... it will have the unintended consiquence of increasing the carbon footprint of the world.... as ships and airplanes go out of their way to save on feul costs.... AND.... if china charges a lower carbon tax than the united states.... then businesses will move to china.... and manufacture their products their.... this also increases the carbon footprint.... as products are produced far from home.... and shipped all over the world....
just a quick side note.... having a high global carbon tax implemented at the source..... will greatly reduce the distance between product manufacturing and the customer.... it WILL encourage a more localized world.... so.... all of you buy local folks out there.... should love this policy.... it will ENCOURAGE more local manufacturing and sales....