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Carbon tax is a good idea. But it's not happening! Writing proposals, calling representatives, signing petitions and voting isn't helping. I mean, how do we act

Carbon tax is a good idea. But it's not happening! Writing proposals, calling representatives, signing petitions and voting isn't helping. I mean, how do we actually make it happen?

dragontamer 7y ago
> voting isn't helping Because the will of the people is in the other direction. At this point, its a matter of convincing the greater public of the evidence. People are stubborn and difficult to convince. And you need to convince roughly half of the voting population (maybe ~50-million people) before things happen in the USA. That's how democracy works. There's also a power-imbalance that gets somewhat political: how smaller states have 2 senators and therefore control the vote despite having a very small population. Convincing those people is more important, because their vote matters more than most people. 200,000 Wyoming residents have the voting power of 700,000 California residents, due to how Senators work.
- Ericson2314 7y ago
  There is some bipartisan lobbying for a carbon tax. There is also bipartisan whinging, which is crazy. Just pair it with a dividend like Canada.
- hanniabu 7y ago
  > And you need to convince roughly half of the voting population Not with gerrymandering, you'll effectively need much more. And then there's the fact that people are consistently voted in on a set of plans/promises that either are never followed through with or they do they opposite because they were just saying the things that get votes rather than what they actually intend to do. The system is broken, plain and simple, and it's not going to change because it benefits those with the ability to change it.
  - AnthonyMouse 7y ago
    Gerrymandering isn't really the issue. Even in a gerrymandered district, the representative is generally going to do what the majority of people in the district want. If you can convince the majority of the people in the majority of districts, you can get something done. The biggest "problem" is that neither party is predicted to control the House, Senate and Presidency all at once any time soon, so it almost inherently has to be bipartisan. But the prevailing spirit is not exactly cooperation and good faith, on either side.
egdod 7y ago
> Writing proposals, calling representatives, signing petitions and voting isn't helping. It’s almost as if the majority disagrees with you that it’s a good idea. Welcome to democracy.
- Ericson2314 7y ago
  I doubt a majority of Americans are for or against, and support on most issues is very fluid when partisanship holds longer than policy. While there is legislative deadlock nothing will happen, and that won't change for at least a year.
nothrabannosir 7y ago
It's happened in the UK (£18/tonne of CO₂ equivalent) and Canada (varies per state), and probably others. UK total CO₂ emissions are below 1900 (!) levels, mostly due to many people switching to green energy, and substituting what coal remained with natural gas, which is most efficient power per tCO₂ among the fossil fuels. Don't give up hope :) keep bringing up carbon price whenever relevant. The tide of public opinion will turn. Late, as always, but it will turn. People didn't think a black man could ever be president but lo and behold you did it. You just need to keep telling people that there is a solution, and that it is carbon price. Keep beating the drum.

Carbon tax is a good idea. But it's not happening! Writing proposals, calling representatives, signing petitions and voting isn't helping. I mean, how do we actually make it happen?

dragontamer 7y ago

> voting isn't helping Because the will of the people is in the other direction. At this point, its a matter of convincing the greater public of the evidence. People are stubborn and difficult to convince. And you need to convince roughly half of the voting population (maybe ~50-million people) before things happen in the USA. That's how democracy works. There's also a power-imbalance that gets somewhat political: how smaller states have 2 senators and therefore control the vote despite having a very small population. Convincing those people is more important, because their vote matters more than most people. 200,000 Wyoming residents have the voting power of 700,000 California residents, due to how Senators work.

Ericson2314 7y ago
There is some bipartisan lobbying for a carbon tax. There is also bipartisan whinging, which is crazy. Just pair it with a dividend like Canada.
hanniabu 7y ago
> And you need to convince roughly half of the voting population Not with gerrymandering, you'll effectively need much more. And then there's the fact that people are consistently voted in on a set of plans/promises that either are never followed through with or they do they opposite because they were just saying the things that get votes rather than what they actually intend to do. The system is broken, plain and simple, and it's not going to change because it benefits those with the ability to change it.
- AnthonyMouse 7y ago
  Gerrymandering isn't really the issue. Even in a gerrymandered district, the representative is generally going to do what the majority of people in the district want. If you can convince the majority of the people in the majority of districts, you can get something done. The biggest "problem" is that neither party is predicted to control the House, Senate and Presidency all at once any time soon, so it almost inherently has to be bipartisan. But the prevailing spirit is not exactly cooperation and good faith, on either side.

egdod 7y ago

> Writing proposals, calling representatives, signing petitions and voting isn't helping. It’s almost as if the majority disagrees with you that it’s a good idea. Welcome to democracy.

Ericson2314 7y ago
I doubt a majority of Americans are for or against, and support on most issues is very fluid when partisanship holds longer than policy. While there is legislative deadlock nothing will happen, and that won't change for at least a year.

nothrabannosir 7y ago

It's happened in the UK (£18/tonne of CO₂ equivalent) and Canada (varies per state), and probably others. UK total CO₂ emissions are below 1900 (!) levels, mostly due to many people switching to green energy, and substituting what coal remained with natural gas, which is most efficient power per tCO₂ among the fossil fuels. Don't give up hope :) keep bringing up carbon price whenever relevant. The tide of public opinion will turn. Late, as always, but it will turn. People didn't think a black man could ever be president but lo and behold you did it. You just need to keep telling people that there is a solution, and that it is carbon price. Keep beating the drum.