I do what I can individual-wise to live low impact, but I feel like most of this is almost a foregone conclusion since it is just plain more expensive to live this way and many people wont be able to do it. And the corporations that hurt the planet the most have no reason to stop. What can we do to stop this on a more macro scale? Don't tell me to call my senator, I live in Utah...
Carbon taxes
Plastic, petrol, coal, paper, cars, medicine - everything around us exists only because carbon was burnt to reach us.
The price of the clean up, however, is not part of the cost, which is why it all seems so cheap - and why global warming is not something you think of when you buy up a candy bar and toss the wrapper.
Climate change is a market error because the market currently is not pricing the true cost of consumption.
The moment carbon taxes come in - people will immediately see that things are not as cheap as they thought. Those plastic beer cups? Not worth it.
This is what is needed. People respond to obvious incentives - and actually paying the full life cycle price of a product will make those incentives clear.
Will it probably cause a large change in the world economy? Yes - obviously, thats the point: this is less damaging to the world economy than just falling off of the climate change cliff.
EDIT:
I think its important to point out that this will be a tax on raw materials and production processes as well. This will push firms to pollute less to pay less tax. They will be more competitive and the prices (or profit) will be clear to customers.
2) a lot of people are pointing out that carbon taxes can be misused by the government. This is true, and is part that people need to work out for themselves.
Most importantly: We are already subsidizing the cost of carbon (there's no such thing as a free lunch)
When recycling programs are executed - your taxes subsidize it.
When a fire rages through a forest - fire fighting costs, infrastructure rebuilding costs, insurance premiums, are paid for by taxes and personal expense.
When your child's life is worse because cars are emitting nox? You pay for the doctors and the taxes to subsidize health care.
You are already paying for carbon - a carbon tax is more like having all the hidden terms and conditions made clear at one go.
Whenever I get into any sort of conversation about climate change with a family member of mine, they bring up the carbon tax and how it is just another way for the government to skim in more money from the people and then waste it. I always wonder about the actual economic effects of a carbon tax versus its intended ones.
I am hugely concerned with climate change, but I also feel like the government is already taxing people too much and the average citizen is giving way too much of their money to the government while the government seems awesome at wasting money in spectacular fashion . I have always wondered how a carbon tax would work. My worry is that any tax would be deflected to consumers while the corporations and government would continue profiting as normal, having zero effect on the climate.
Can anybody help me understand? Im hoping there is good news because I feel stuck in a rift of trying to explain to people how big of a problem climate change is and then wondering myself if there is even a way to fight it that will effect those in charge
edit: thanks for all the replies, interesting stuf
Carbon taxes
Plastic, petrol, coal, paper, cars, medicine - everything around us exists only because carbon was burnt to reach us.
The price of the clean up, however, is not part of the cost, which is why it all seems so cheap - and why global warming is not something you think of when you buy up a candy bar and toss the wrapper.
Climate change is a market error because the market currently is not pricing the true cost of consumption.
The moment carbon taxes come in - people will immediately see that things are not as cheap as they thought. Those plastic beer cups? Not worth it.
This is what is needed. People respond to obvious incentives - and actually paying the full life cycle price of a product will make those incentives clear.
Will it probably cause a large change in the world economy? Yes - obviously, thats the point: this is less damaging to the world economy than just falling off of the climate change cliff.
EDIT:
I think its important to point out that this will be a tax on raw materials and production processes as well. This will push firms to pollute less to pay less tax. They will be more competitive and the prices (or profit) will be clear to customers.
2) a lot of people are pointing out that carbon taxes can be misused by the government. This is true, and is part that people need to work out for themselves.
Most importantly: We are already subsidizing the cost of carbon (there's no such thing as a free lunch)
When recycling programs are executed - your taxes subsidize it.
When a fire rages through a forest - fire fighting costs, infrastructure rebuilding costs, insurance premiums, are paid for by taxes and personal expense.
When your child's life is worse because cars are emitting nox? You pay for the doctors and the taxes to subsidize health care.
You are already paying for carbon - a carbon tax is more like having all the hidden terms and conditions made clear at one go.
Whenever I get into any sort of conversation about climate change with a family member of mine, they bring up the carbon tax and how it is just another way for the government to skim in more money from the people and then waste it. I always wonder about the actual economic effects of a carbon tax versus its intended ones.
I am hugely concerned with climate change, but I also feel like the government is already taxing people too much and the average citizen is giving way too much of their money to the government while the government seems awesome at wasting money in spectacular fashion . I have always wondered how a carbon tax would work. My worry is that any tax would be deflected to consumers while the corporations and government would continue profiting as normal, having zero effect on the climate.
Can anybody help me understand? Im hoping there is good news because I feel stuck in a rift of trying to explain to people how big of a problem climate change is and then wondering myself if there is even a way to fight it that will effect those in charge
edit: thanks for all the replies, interesting stuf
The latest research shows that since the late 80s it has reduced in strength by up to 20 to 30%. I haven’t found any information on exactly what reduction % will result in its collapse but it is the primary source of oxygenating ocean water globally.
If it collapses or even reduces too a significant weakness then oxygen levels in global ocean waters will be so low that most fish life and food sources from the ocean will die.
50% of the globes human population depends on the oceans for food and protein as the majority source of their daily nutrition.
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