The Time is Right and Crucial for A Carbon Tax

James Handley, eminant environmental leader and spokeperson for the Carbon Tax Center just published this very important information about one of the best opportunities to jump start the fight against the current and rapidly evolving climate disasters related to global warming caused by our excessive greenhouse gases. Remember Pogo’s prophetic warning: “We have seen the enemy and he is us!” We can and must take aggressive and urgent action. Mr. Handley writes:

“Just posted on CarbonTax.org: Why Isn’t The Environmental Community Using the Fiscal And Tax Reform “Window” to Push For A Carbon Tax? It features Brookings Climate & Energy Director Adele Morris’ wake up call to the environmental community.

“A carbon tax offers a unique and powerful combination of fiscal, economic-efficiency and environmental benefits, argued Adele Morris, the Brookings Institution’s Policy Director for Climate and Energy Economics, at an Oct. 18 forum convened by the Brookings Institution, the Urban Institute and the Tax Policy Center. Morris acknowledged the political obstacles. One of course is the failure of anti-tax politicians to distinguish between beneficial “Pigouvian” taxes on pollution and conventional taxes that burden and discourage productive activity. But another has been “tepid” support for a carbon tax from the environmental community.

“We heard that as a challenge: Why has the environmental community (with a few notable exceptions) parked itself on the sidelines of this crucial policy debate?

“Adele shared her presentation text, which we reproduce

“If you prefer video, see Brookings’ short summary of Adele’s presentation here.

"All five of the other panelists at the (bipartisan) Brookings forum advocated a Value Added Tax. Like a Carbon Tax, a VAT is a consumption tax, but without the environmental benefits of a tax focused on greenhouse gas pollution. A VAT was the main recommendation of both the Simpson-Bowles and Rivlin Domenici deficit commissions last year, despite Alice Rivlin’s efforts to include a carbon tax. And a VAT is where Congress seems likely to go, unless they hear support for a carbon tax.

"Let’s wake up the climate movement and get engaged in this policy debate. It may be the most promising route to a carbon price we’ll see for a long time.”

Best regards,
-jh
James Handley
Carbon Tax Center
202-546-5692