3 ms·

I wonder if carbon tax revenues should be ring-fenced, and spent solely on endeavours just like the onein the article?

adrianN 7y ago
A large part of the carbon tax should be paid out as a dividend. Otherwise poor people can't afford to live anymore. Political acceptance is important for any climate policies.
- barry-cotter 7y ago
  This is why I have no hope for anything other than a technological solution to climate change. Anything else would require either a very large decrease in the standard of living in the developed world, contributed poverty in the developing world or both.
  - adrianN 7y ago
    Replacing fossil fuels with renewables doesn't require a very large decrease in the standard of living. So we already have a technological solution for 80% or so of the problem. Steel, cement, and long distance flying seem to be tricky without releasing CO2, but we should probably only seriously worry about those once we're well on our way with the things that can be replaced without changing quality of life at all.
    - TeMPOraL 7y ago
      But that a) is only happening because technology lowers costs, changing the economics of renewables so that it makes short-term, self-interest sense to install them, and b) alone it still doesn't solve the problem.
barry-cotter 7y ago
Ring fencing is always pointless in the long run because the government isn’t stupid. For things they actually want to spend money on they’ll find a way. If there’s political will to spend money on something it’ll be funded, ring fencing or no. In the short run ring fencing can provide a temporary boost in spending but in the long run all sources of funding are fungible.
- gitanovic 7y ago
  Very true. But still, in the current situation fencing might actually be a good thing: a boost in research in the right direction. Also if temporary, it might be just enough to make the step needed, and it is anyhow better than nothing.

A large part of the carbon tax should be paid out as a dividend. Otherwise poor people can't afford to live anymore. Political acceptance is important for any climate policies.

barry-cotter 7y ago
This is why I have no hope for anything other than a technological solution to climate change. Anything else would require either a very large decrease in the standard of living in the developed world, contributed poverty in the developing world or both.
- adrianN 7y ago
  Replacing fossil fuels with renewables doesn't require a very large decrease in the standard of living. So we already have a technological solution for 80% or so of the problem. Steel, cement, and long distance flying seem to be tricky without releasing CO2, but we should probably only seriously worry about those once we're well on our way with the things that can be replaced without changing quality of life at all.
  - TeMPOraL 7y ago
    But that a) is only happening because technology lowers costs, changing the economics of renewables so that it makes short-term, self-interest sense to install them, and b) alone it still doesn't solve the problem.

barry-cotter 7y ago

Ring fencing is always pointless in the long run because the government isn’t stupid. For things they actually want to spend money on they’ll find a way. If there’s political will to spend money on something it’ll be funded, ring fencing or no. In the short run ring fencing can provide a temporary boost in spending but in the long run all sources of funding are fungible.

gitanovic 7y ago
Very true. But still, in the current situation fencing might actually be a good thing: a boost in research in the right direction. Also if temporary, it might be just enough to make the step needed, and it is anyhow better than nothing.