[Vision2020] carbon tax

[Ted Moffett]

A carbon tax with tax shifting or other compensation, or a fee and dividend
system, would offer relief to consumers of low and middle incomes for the
increases in the cost of goods and services.  In fact, some economic
projections show low and middle income consumers coming out ahead
financially, with a carbon tax and tax shifting or other compensation, or
fee and dividend systems, to promote a quicker transition away from fossil
fuels.

This of course would depend on their economic choices.  If someone used a
lot of coal fired electricity and drove a gas guzzler 100 miles a day to
commute, they would see a large increase in the cost of coal and oil energy
associated with their lifestyle.  But for those who make choices to avoid
intensive fossil fuel associated economic decisions, the reduction in their
taxes or other compensation or the dividend payments they would receive,
could offer the chance to economically benefit from the tax or fee on
carbon.

Incredible that in this thread, Australia's plan, just now being
implemented, though in the works for a long time, to tax carbon and
compensate families for the increases in costs, was not mentioned once...

Below are sources of information on carbon tax and tax shifting or other
compensation, and fee and dividend systems.
Cleanenergyfuture.gov.ausource below claims compensation of 120
percent of the expected
increases in costs from the carbon tax:

Lowering Income Taxes While Raising Pollution Taxes Reaps Great Returns
Lester R. Brown
http://www.earth-policy.org/book_bytes/2010/pb4ch10_ss2
-------------------------------
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save
Civilization<http://www.earth-policy.org/books/pb3>
Lester R. Brown
Chapter 13. The Great Mobilization: Shifting Taxes and Subsidies
http://www.earth-policy.org/books/pb3/PB3ch13_ss2
------------------------------
Info on Australia's "Clean Energy Future" plan with a carbon tax:
http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/helping-households/who-will-get-assistance/
Over 4 million households get assistance worth 120 per cent of their
expected average price impact
-----------------------------
Info below on a fee and dividend system presented to the US Congress:
Carbon Tax and 100% Dividend vs. Tax and Trade
Testimony of James E. Hansen
Committee on Ways and Means
US House of Representatives
http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/2009/WaysAndMeans_20090225.pdf

"...Tax and 100% Dividend--tax carbon emissions, but give all of the money
back to the public..."

NASA climate scientist James Hansen, quoted above, has opposed the cap and
trade system that the Obama administration was trying to pass the US
Congress, that failed:
Cap and Fade
By JAMES HANSEN
Published: December 6, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/opinion/07hansen.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/opinion/07hansen.html
---------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20120604/9fc95775/attachment-0001.html>