Why a Carbon Tax Won’t Save The Planet

Brent Jessop - Knowledge Driven Revolution.com
August 16, 2007

Lets assume that Global Warming is real and that man’s emissions of greenhouse gasses is the cause. Would a carbon tax work?

Problem Number 1: The Government Likes Your Money

A carbon tax is usually sold along with the promise of tax cuts elsewhere to perfectly counterbalance the increase from any new carbon tax. This is supposed to shift the tax burden to the biggest polluters and not just collectively punish everyone. Sounds nice. But, the government likes your money. So, any initiatives they pursue to reduce carbon emissions would also reduce their income. Not a good way to motivate government bureaucracy, after all, they need your money to pay their salaries and bonuses.

Problem Number 2: Who Keeps Count?

As the elite like to say, a global problem needs a global solution. So, who keeps count of all the carbon emissions? Do national governments? Would you trust communist China to report their carbon quotas honestly? Do you want a gigantic United Nations bureaucracy of inspectors scouring the globe checking every tailpipe and smokestack?

Problem Number 3: Shifting Taxes

I think it is evident to everyone that some groups are more equal than others in the eyes of government. So the burden of this new carbon tax could - and would - be shifted away from a big polluting industry by simply offsetting the new carbon tax. That is, a $100 million carbon tax shortly followed by $100 million in corporate handouts and other tax cuts. The result being the burden of the carbon tax is now on the average driver and home owner instead of the biggest polluters. Later, when the carbon tax is not reducing the country's carbon footprint the way it was originally expected, the environmental lobby begs for an ever higher carbon tax.

Problem Number 4: Who Does the Enforcement?

What happens to all the cheaters? Who becomes the enforcer for the entire world? That is a mighty big stick to hand someone, isn’t it?

Problem Number 5: There is No Problem

Sometimes a rat is harder to smell the bigger it gets. Whenever someone is trying to convince you that there is a major crisis that needs your immediate attention and unwavering loyalty you should always look at the solutions they offer as a way of judging their intent.

The problem was created (yes created) by the United Nations, some of them dressed as scientists, most in suits, and their solution requires huge steps toward and stronger more empowered United Nations. Can you smell the rat now?

Some closing words to ponder:

“In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill” – Alexander King and Bertrand Schneider, The First Global Revolution, A Report by the Council of The Club of Rome (1991).

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