How to have a Carbon Tax and remain popular

[watervole]

 British Columbia is a rare example of a region with a carbon tax.

They make it popular by sharing out the revenue from the tax as a  reduction in other taxes.

It appears to be working.  CO2 emissions have fallen, both directly and relative to the rest of Canada.

Their economy is also doing fine relative to the rest of Canada, in fact, slightly ahead.

The only fact I can't find data on is whether they are shifting pollution elsewhere (by importing stuff that involves producing a lot of CO2 rather than making it at home).  

Sadly, it excludes aviation.

BAsically, I think it's an idea definitely worth trying elsewhere.  A group of Republican senators tried, but I don't think they've had any success.  However, I do find it reassuring that there are Republicans who are concerned about climate change.

Climate change should not be a party issue - it affects everyone.

Comments

[igenlode]

Aviation (or at least mass-market aviation) is one of the things that simply isn't affordable in carbon dioxide emissions, unfortunately. It just takes too much fuel to lift a large metal object off the ground and keep it there for thousands of miles. (Though there have been some interesting suggestions for the revival of airships -- I'd have thought the size to lifting capacity ratio of those remained a problem, though.)

I get the impression that the comfortable we-don't-need-to-do-anything-about-climate-change consensus is shifting from "it isn't happening" to "it isn't caused by humans", as the effects are becoming more and more obvious; sadly the optimum time to do something about it would have been before the effects started to take hold. But it isn't human nature to take drastic action to stave off a crisis that isn't yet causing any problems...

[watervole]

I gave up flying 16 years ago when I realised the carbon implications. I have other friends who will not fly, but not enough of them.

I know exactly what you mean about consensus shift.

I fear that bythe time people are really convinced of theneed to act, it will be too late.

There's a really strong hysteresis effect with climate change. It's like the Titanic - takes a really long time to change direction.

[watervole]

99 floors and doing fine so far...

[igenlode]

Not a pop culture reference I recognise - something to do with falling off a skyscraper?

[watervole]

Skyscraper it is.

Well, I've fallen 99 floors and I'm fine so far.

[raspberryfool]

Carbon pricing was implemented in Australia by the Gillard govt, but was repealed in 2014. It was apparently unpopular and didn't really work.

Wiki article here.

[watervole]

Hm. Hard to evaluate as it ran for a short period and had too many exemptions and the government also handed out money to affected industries which seems to have reduced the impact.

There is massive pressure from coal interests in Australia, which always muddies the picture.