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 that accounts for the negative impacts of these fuels on national security and the environment.
Coal, as the most CO2-intensive fossil fuel, would be taxed highest, then oil, and then natural gas. Alternative energy sources would be comparatively lower in price, motivating consumers to move to them by choice.
The result is a levelling of the playing field for cleaner sources of energy.
Who's already using a carbon tax?
- Aspen, Colorado (highest carbon tax in the world)
- Boulder, Colorado
- The provinces of British Columbia and Quebec in Canada
- Great Britain
- Finland
- Sweden
- Norway
Why support carbon tax rather than cap and trade as a solution?
Our proposal follows in the footsteps of the most successful climate legislation in North America, the award-winning carbon tax in British Columbia. Our campaign takes no position on cap-and-trade proposals such as the WCI regional cap-and-trade program except to note that prospects for the WCI are uncertain: the Washington state legislature failed to join the WCI during the 2009 or 2010 legislative sessions, and the WCI is struggling in other jurisdictions as well.Why focus on fossil fuels? What about other sources of CO2 and other greenhouse gases?
As noted by the state Department of Commerce ("Washington’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Sources and Trends, 2/12/07", PDF here), "energy-related CO2 emissions... are the dominant source of [greenhouse gas] emissions in the State of Washington." Since fossil fuel CO2 emissions account for over 80% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions, it makes sense to focus on this area.
Do you have any suggested readings or web sites where I can learn more?
One good source is carbontax.org.
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