Frequently Asked Questions
Who's already using a carbon tax?
Why support carbon tax rather than cap and trade as a solution?
Why focus on fossil fuels? What about other sources of CO2 and other greenhouse gases?
What exactly is a carbon tax?
A carbon tax is a tax on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels. Coal would be taxed the highest since it is the most CO2-intensive fossil fuel, followed by oil and then natural gas; renewable energy would not be subject to the carbon tax. The carbon tax would be paid "upstream", by power plants and fuel importers; consumers would see price increases for electricity from coal and other fossil fuels and fossil-fuel-intensive products.
Who's already using a carbon tax?
According to this 2012 EESI Fact Sheet (Carbon Pricing around the World), carbon taxes in various forms are currently in place in Boulder, Colorado; the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta; and in other countries including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc.Why support carbon taxes rather than cap and trade as a solution?
Both carbon taxes and cap-and-trade policies aim to put a price on carbon. But the WCI regional cap-and-trade system appears to be dead in Washington State, so our proposal follows in the footsteps of the most successful climate legislation in North America, the award-winning carbon tax in British Columbia.Why focus on fossil fuels? What about other sources of CO2 and other greenhouse gases?
Fossil fuel CO2 emissions account for about 80% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions, so it makes sense to focus on this area. See the latest Department of Ecology Greenhouse Gas Inventory for details.
Do you have any suggested readings or web sites where I can learn more?
One good source is carbontax.org.
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