Comments on: The Green Spot: A Good Carbon Tax?!?! http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/08/22/the-green-spot-a-good-carbon-tax/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:31:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Canadian Dream http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/08/22/the-green-spot-a-good-carbon-tax/comment-page-1/#comment-8004 Canadian Dream Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:45:23 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=501#comment-8004 MGL, I agree a focus on CCS and cap and trade would give us more bang for the buck, but the issue is those companies need a $ value for a tonne of CO2. Without that they can't evaluate what is the best method to deal with the CO2 for them. So either tax it or have a $ value on not making your targets. The government really needs to provide some clear direction which they have so far failed to do. Tim MGL,

I agree a focus on CCS and cap and trade would give us more bang for the buck, but the issue is those companies need a $ value for a tonne of CO2. Without that they can’t evaluate what is the best method to deal with the CO2 for them.

So either tax it or have a $ value on not making your targets. The government really needs to provide some clear direction which they have so far failed to do.

Tim

]]> By: MoneyGrubbingLawyer http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/08/22/the-green-spot-a-good-carbon-tax/comment-page-1/#comment-8000 MoneyGrubbingLawyer Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:38:15 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=501#comment-8000 Interesting article- thanks for the link. I'm not a fan of the theory of carbon taxes at all, as I see a carbon tax only serving to increase the prices that consumers pay on virtually every product we purchase, while doing very little to actually reduce carbon emissions. While in theory a carbon tax would lead consumers to purchase more "green" products and thereby indirectly reduce emissions, I'm not convinced that this would actually be the practical result. It seems to me that a cap and trade or CCS system would have a greater impact on net greenhouse gas emissions, without driving up prices for consumers to the same degree. Interesting article- thanks for the link.

I’m not a fan of the theory of carbon taxes at all, as I see a carbon tax only serving to increase the prices that consumers pay on virtually every product we purchase, while doing very little to actually reduce carbon emissions. While in theory a carbon tax would lead consumers to purchase more “green” products and thereby indirectly reduce emissions, I’m not convinced that this would actually be the practical result.

It seems to me that a cap and trade or CCS system would have a greater impact on net greenhouse gas emissions, without driving up prices for consumers to the same degree.

]]> By: Frog of Finance http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/08/22/the-green-spot-a-good-carbon-tax/comment-page-1/#comment-7981 Frog of Finance Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:08:41 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=501#comment-7981 Although I like the idea of a caron tax, I agree that it would need to be structured in such a way that it doesn't put our local businesses at a disadvantage. On the other hand, I think that the article you mention minimizes the complexity of assessing the carbon impact of each product imported from a no-carbon-tax country. To me, this looks like it would be a nightmare to administer. A simpler alternative would be to assess a country's stand on carbon emission (i.e. do they have an equivalent carbon tax) and apply a general carbon tax on all products imported from that country. That tax would be country-specific, so a country that has a carbon stance that is closer to ours would be taxed less than one who doesn't care. It would be less fair for products that have little carbon impact from a country who has no carbon tax. But that might actually prove to be an incentive to introduce one, since *all* their products would be penalized for their carelessness. Problem is, both the article's carbon tax and my alternative run the risk of running afoul of the World Trade Organization's rules. You can be sure a penalized country would complain there, and if no agreement has been reached there, we would get slammed by penalties. CHeers, Frog Although I like the idea of a caron tax, I agree that it would need to be structured in such a way that it doesn’t put our local businesses at a disadvantage.

On the other hand, I think that the article you mention minimizes the complexity of assessing the carbon impact of each product imported from a no-carbon-tax country. To me, this looks like it would be a nightmare to administer.

A simpler alternative would be to assess a country’s stand on carbon emission (i.e. do they have an equivalent carbon tax) and apply a general carbon tax on all products imported from that country. That tax would be country-specific, so a country that has a carbon stance that is closer to ours would be taxed less than one who doesn’t care.

It would be less fair for products that have little carbon impact from a country who has no carbon tax. But that might actually prove to be an incentive to introduce one, since *all* their products would be penalized for their carelessness.

Problem is, both the article’s carbon tax and my alternative run the risk of running afoul of the World Trade Organization’s rules. You can be sure a penalized country would complain there, and if no agreement has been reached there, we would get slammed by penalties.

CHeers,
Frog

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