Climate Change: We Need a Carbon Tax

In order to examine and combat global warming, Senator Bernie Sanders and Barbara Boxer introduced the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007 on Jan 15th, 2007. The act was proposed to increase performance abilities for electricity generation and motor vehicles with the choice in emissions “cap and trade” system. Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass committee in 2013. (Environmental Defense Fund, 2007)

Tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere every day and the consequence is the destabilization of Earth’s climate and damage to existing and endangered ecosystems. In order to avoid these ramifications, carbon emissions must be reduced. Industrial nations like the United States rely heavily on the burning of billions of tons of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, as their primary source of energy generation. Unfortunately, this has led to the United States being one of the top leaders in carbon emissions in the world along with India and China (Woodard, 2007, pg. 27). A proposed solution that has already been implemented in several nations is the carbon tax (CO2 tax), which puts a price on and taxes the carbon dioxide emitted from the burning of fossil fuels and makes polluters pay the price for the emission of their negative externalities into the environment. As fuel follows through with the combustion process, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere where it remains. The carbon dioxide traps the heat in the Earth’s atmosphere leading to a rise in global warming and climate change (Carbon Tax Center, 2016a, What’s a Carbon Tax section, para. 2). A carbon tax can quickly and easily be implemented by the United States federal government and has the potential to conserve the environment by reducing carbon emissions,

At this point in time our possible solutions to the global warming are few; our technologies aren’t advanced enough to take the brunt of energy production and wean away from fossil fuel, and we have been too passive for too long regarding our CO2 emissions that’s it’s not feasible to either use cap and trade, or a flat out reduction of CO2. At our current rate of growth, energy from alternative energy sources will be around 8% of the total energy usage by 2025 (Butler 3). This is not nearly enough to be used as a feasible solution to combat our rising CO2 production, and by the time this is feasible, sever climate changes may have

Major bills include Cut Carbon Act of 2009, Save Our Climate Act of 2009/2011, Climate Protection Act of 2013, American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act of 2017/2018 (C2ES, 2013; Congress). All of these acts try to impose a carbon tax to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and almost all of them have specified all taxable carbon substance sold by the manufacturer, producer, or importer of the substances as the coverage of the tax. Most of them have specified emission targets as to reduce the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions 80% below levels of some given year by 2050, with different starting tax rates ranging from $10 to $20 per ton of CO2 and different annual increasing rates. Some acts suggest the Treasury as the regulatory authority, and some suggest the Environmental Protection Agency. Even though carbon tax is a topic that has been consistently brought up, none of the acts were passed and enacted. There are also attempts to apply a carbon tax at the state level, nevertheless, no US states currently have authorized

Today, people in the United States and around the world face a changing climate that threatens our way of life. An increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions poses a threat to food security, infrastructure and economic affluence. In the United States, climatologists from the United Nations project that a seven-degree Fahrenheit increase in average temperatures will cause more frequent droughts affecting agriculture in the Midwest and more severe and frequent tropical storms and hurricanes affecting major cities along both coasts (“Climate” 7). Addressing these issues will require rigorous cuts in greenhouse emissions. The implementation of a comprehensive economic policy that includes the use of cap-and-trade markets, carbon taxation, and clean energy subsidies is one step toward addressing the increasingly-critical issue of climate change.

A recent survey showed that “the top US economists found near unanimity on the optimality of a carbon tax as an instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” In other word, pricing carbon is one of the most sensible policy prescriptions to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change or colloquially known as global warming, now pose a new threat to civilization as the levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) are soaring to new levels. The most significant contributor to greenhouse gasses would be Carbon Dioxide (Co2). The levels of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) gas have risen to levels civilization has not seen before. As such, the effects of these levels are not known to civilization as data gathered from the ice cores drilled in the Antarctica only shows data up to 650,000 years ago. However we can conclude that present CO2 concentrations are higher compared to any time in the last 650,000 years (IPCC 2007). Current carbon dioxide concentrations are hovering around 389 parts per million (ppm) as of September 2011,

Having to pay for Smog Check and paying an extra amount of dollars to refill a certain type of gasoline for the car are few of the many expenses that does not make sense for many of us, but this is the price we pay for our actions that carried negative outcomes on our climate. Yes, its the global warming problem that all the countries are bragging about its effects; they are the effects that made our summers hotter and warmed our winters, and to prove its seriousness Levitt and Dubner, in their Super freakonomics book had their own way of approaching this problem economically, quoted “that climate change ‘would force economic and social adjustments on a world wide scale’”(160). As a part of the world, the state of California had been effected by global warming in various ways due to many reasons that will be covered in this paper. In California, the increase in temperatures were noticeable when compared to the last decades which incentivized the state to implement laws and legislations that control the main cause of our climate change, greenhouse gases. While many sectors of the state are emitting greenhouse gases non-stop, the government of California took a big effort in issuing regulations to reduce and stop greenhouse gases emissions in the contributing sectors as a plan for a cleaner and suitable environment.

by rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the

In 1979, the first World Conference on Climate was held, which included many scientists that warned about the affects human activity has on climate change (DiMento 35). Climate change is not only affecting human health but the earth as well, for example; scientists now predict the Artic sea may be ice-free in the summer between 2030 and 2050, which is decades earlier than predicted (DiMento 46). Greenhouse gases are warming the earth which the earth’s temperature is rising thus causing not only ice and snow to melt faster, but sever heat waves as well. Other issues with climate change include, drought, as well as more snow and rain hitting certain areas of North American than normal. To be able to stop climate change, there needs to be changes made to the way people live and use fossil fuels. The best place to start a change in the U.S. would be to adopt a carbon tax. A carbon tax is a pollution tax or a fee for the production, distribution or use of fossil fuels. The United States should adopt a carbon tax because it would improve the economy, encourage to use alternative fuels, and reduce the production of carbon dioxide.

Global warming is real. The truth is if we do not act act boldly and quickly the problem will get worsen in the coming years to come. It is the major threat to the planet earth and to minimize this threat, it will require a major reduction in the burning of the coal and fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry that releases Green house gases like carbon dioxide in major percentage, methane, nitrous oxide, has played major role in this threat increment and its contents is increasing daily in the atmosphere. As Earth's climate warms, rapid loss of glacial ice is being documented around the world. The rising of the sea levels throughout the world is also observed. These multi billion dollar industry is slowly destroying the planet earth, and getting rich while doing it. That must end and I believe therefore a carbon tax is must in order to dramatically reduce the carbon pollution.

Current data reveals that the concentration of Carbon Dioxide in the earth's atmosphere is approximately 387 parts per million, which is roughly a 31% increase in the period 1750 to 2009. Consequently, it is evident that such increases in temperatures have caused a warmer planet (7). It is also evident that it is impossible to reverse the developments of industrial revolution. This means that as the advancements of industrial revolution continue and as energy demands increases, it is possible that this trend of climate change will continue for decades to come (McAloon, 8). The consent of the climate research community is that it most likely already affects climate noticeably and will compel significant

This analysis was well written and has promise. The author is credible and the structure of the report was well drafted. The analysis contained meaningful sources as well as data to back up implications. Overall the report did well in presenting reliable information about the issue (carbon tax) and possible solutions such as a climate rebate.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution in recent centuries, the Earth’s temperature increases steadily due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide. The use of energies for transportation, manufacturing, and electricity generation involve in the burning of fossil fuel. These activities produce carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and warm up the Earth. As stated by World Meteorological Organization, “The use of fossil fuel currently accounts for 80 to 85% of the carbon dioxide being added to the atmosphere” (United Nation Evironment Programme - World Meteorological Organization, 2006). In fact, the amount of man-made carbon emission to the atmosphere continues to grow everyday although people acknowledge the danger of the extreme carbon emission. World Meteorological Organization said that the carbon emission rose significantly from just less than 1 billion tons in 1860 to more than 20 billion tons in 1990 (United Nation Evironment Programme - World Meteorological Organization, 2006). As a result, the Earth’s temperature continues to increase over time. Steffen clearly stated “The global average air temperature has risen by about 0.85°C since the beginning of the 20th century, and continues to rise. The period 2001–2010 was the hottest decade on record” (Steffen, 2013).

Climate change otherwise known as global warming has been an ongoing issue for decades. Beginning in the 19th century, climate change has increasingly affected Earth and its atmosphere. Rising levels of carbon dioxide are warming the Earth’s atmosphere, causing rising sea-levels, melting snow and ice, extreme fires and droughts, and intense rainfall and floods. Climate change has and will continue to affect food production, availability of water, and can add to many health risks in humans and animals. In fact, in an article by Justin Gillis titled, “Scientists Warn of Perilous Climate Shift Within Decades, Not Centuries” he focuses on a paper written by a former NASA climate scientist, James E. Hansen, explaining the effects of climate change on Earth today. Although many believe Hansen’s theories in the paper are quite far-fetched, the author mentions, “Despite any reservations they might have about the new paper, virtually all climate scientists agree with Dr. Hansen’s group that society is not moving fast enough to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, posing grave risks” (Gillis). Gillis validates the fact that climate change has been rapidly expanding throughout Earth and society has not been able to reduce it fast enough. Many negative risks are being posed and will continue to mount if the issue of climate change is not taken seriously. Although climate change negatively affects nearly all aspects of Earth, it poses a big