> So people should stop with individual action while lobbying politicians? If it helps them lobby their politicians more, then sure. I mean, it doesn't, but if

> So people should stop with individual action while lobbying politicians? If it helps them lobby their politicians more, then sure. I mean, it doesn't, but if it did I'd take that trade any day. > On what do you base that? Purely on a sense of urgency. Individual action will--at best--lower greenhouse emissions by lowering demand for carbon intensive products & practices. How many business cycles does it take for these actions to take effect? We simply don't have decades. As well, a consequence of lowering demand of carbon-intensive products results in...a lowering of the price of carbon/oil. Increasing demand, until the slack is picked up elsewhere. The invisible hand is powerful. A Co2 tax does the same thing as individual action--it lowers the demand for carbon, except it prevents the price from adjusting down. It is our only hope. > For example taxes on gas have not been very successful for decreasing the amount we drive even though taxes on gas in many countries are much higher than suggested tax levels for co2. By definition, then the tax is too low. Demand for gasoline is very inelastic, but it's not perfectly inelastic. I don't think you understand the urgency. Runaway heating has started. We don't have 20 years. A draconianly high CO2 tax is our only hope.