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I’m not talking about forcing anyone to do anything. I talked about carbon taxes to make people pay the true price of their consumption so the market forces ca

I’m not talking about forcing anyone to do anything. I talked about carbon taxes to make people pay the true price of their consumption so the market forces can find the right equilibrium, which they can’t when the price doesn’t include all the information.

slg 5y ago
It seems like we are talking in circles. The original debate was that there were two options for dealing with climate change. One was expensive and painful and the other was cheap and easy. The cheap and easy one is we just all decide to voluntarily reduce consumption. That isn't feasible for the reasons listed in previous comments. The expensive and painful one is a combination of disincentivizing consumption, offsetting carbon emission, creating carbon capture technology, etc. As I said before, a carbon tax is part of the expensive option because it obviously makes consumption more expensive. That isn't to say a carbon tax is a bad solution. I generally support one. It is simply a recognition that a carbon tax is not the cheap and easy solution of us all simply reducing consumption. If you want a cheap solution either people need to voluntarily give up consumption or they need to be forced to give up consumption.
- Swenrekcah 5y ago
  I agree with that. The only thing I have an objection to is that it would be so painful to give up a portion of the consumption, because some of it is truly excessive and encouraged mostly by advertising and 'influencers'. To which I don't have a solution except trying to reduce the relentless consumerism and trying to convince people they'll be much happier with stuff they can buy outright and truly own (see Right To Repair) than with stuff they have to buy on credit and don't really own anyway (see iPhones and Audible collections).
anamax 5y ago
> I’m not talking about forcing anyone to do anything. What's your plan for folks who refuse to pay the carbon tax? Remember, Eric Garner was killed as part of enforcing NYC's cigarette tax. (He was selling "loosies".)
- DarylZero 5y ago
  Most "loosies" are brand name cigarettes bought in a store (so with the tax already paid on them).
  - anamax 5y ago
    I should have written "regulatory system." It's not legal to sell single cigarettes in NY regardless of source. That said, the "only registered sellers are allowed" system is intended to combat cigarette smuggling/tax evasion.

slg 5y ago

It seems like we are talking in circles. The original debate was that there were two options for dealing with climate change. One was expensive and painful and the other was cheap and easy. The cheap and easy one is we just all decide to voluntarily reduce consumption. That isn't feasible for the reasons listed in previous comments. The expensive and painful one is a combination of disincentivizing consumption, offsetting carbon emission, creating carbon capture technology, etc. As I said before, a carbon tax is part of the expensive option because it obviously makes consumption more expensive. That isn't to say a carbon tax is a bad solution. I generally support one. It is simply a recognition that a carbon tax is not the cheap and easy solution of us all simply reducing consumption. If you want a cheap solution either people need to voluntarily give up consumption or they need to be forced to give up consumption.

Swenrekcah 5y ago
I agree with that. The only thing I have an objection to is that it would be so painful to give up a portion of the consumption, because some of it is truly excessive and encouraged mostly by advertising and 'influencers'. To which I don't have a solution except trying to reduce the relentless consumerism and trying to convince people they'll be much happier with stuff they can buy outright and truly own (see Right To Repair) than with stuff they have to buy on credit and don't really own anyway (see iPhones and Audible collections).

anamax 5y ago

> I’m not talking about forcing anyone to do anything. What's your plan for folks who refuse to pay the carbon tax? Remember, Eric Garner was killed as part of enforcing NYC's cigarette tax. (He was selling "loosies".)

DarylZero 5y ago
Most "loosies" are brand name cigarettes bought in a store (so with the tax already paid on them).
- anamax 5y ago
  I should have written "regulatory system." It's not legal to sell single cigarettes in NY regardless of source. That said, the "only registered sellers are allowed" system is intended to combat cigarette smuggling/tax evasion.