WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP
As a follow up to yesterday's post, oftentimes the "yeah but" in the room is the notion that any carbon tax in the US would simply export pollution elsewhere and/or make the US uncompetitive vis a vis the rest of the world; and by "elsewhere" and "rest of the world" in those two statements, usually people mean "China." Well guess what? "China May Impose retail Fuel Tax." [Link courtesy of Greg Mankiw's blog.]
Good news, future grandkids of mine: we're heading towards a world in which carbon is properly priced. Now let's hope I'll also be able to tell those future grandkids of mine: "And then President Obama bravely moved the US towards a carbon tax that set in motion all sorts of rational behavior concerning consumption of natural resources, land use patterns, and transportation mode choice."
As a follow up to yesterday's post, oftentimes the "yeah but" in the room is the notion that any carbon tax in the US would simply export pollution elsewhere and/or make the US uncompetitive vis a vis the rest of the world; and by "elsewhere" and "rest of the world" in those two statements, usually people mean "China." Well guess what? "China May Impose retail Fuel Tax." [Link courtesy of Greg Mankiw's blog.]
Good news, future grandkids of mine: we're heading towards a world in which carbon is properly priced. Now let's hope I'll also be able to tell those future grandkids of mine: "And then President Obama bravely moved the US towards a carbon tax that set in motion all sorts of rational behavior concerning consumption of natural resources, land use patterns, and transportation mode choice."
Comments
Anyway, I totally agree with you. We don't give them enough credit, and the sort of chicken-and-egg logic you bring up will only result in a standstill. Shouldn't America be a leader in the world?