Going along with this week’s topic “Policy proposals for limiting carbon emissions, I decided to research the “Carbon Tax: Citizen’s Climate Lobby proposal”. Many new policies are being put into place now that the danger of global warming on society is beginning to be fully realized and acted upon. According to the Citizen’s Climate Lobby website the carbon fee and dividend is the plan to internalize carbon-based fuels. Fossil fuels still remain fairly cheap and are extremely profitable. Therefore, people still use them because they are accessible and are effective.   The average person does not consider the social costs that burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon emissions to the environment. According to AAA the average cost of a gallon of gas is equal to $2.58.   In terms of cost this is the best we have seen in a while. Surveys from AAA reveal that 68 percent of people are more likely to take a road trip this summer due to the price of gas. The mentality of people needs to change to align with the negative impact on the environment. The basic layout of the plan is to place a fee on CO2 content of fossil fuels at a steadily increasing rate. The money made form the fee would be redistributed to households. Border regulations will be put into place so that companied couldn’t re locate to avoid the fee. The plan is said to boost the economy and have a very positive effect on the environment.

While the plan seems at the surface to be a great idea to help save the environment, I personally cannot see people and especially companies allowing the proposal to take effect without a fight. Big oil’s monetary power is astounding and they will make it very difficult to create the changes necessary in time in order to make a difference. Personally I do not like the idea of taking money from the poor and simply redistributing it back to them via dividends because they cannot afford the new prices, they could be putting that money to other uses. The program states that gas prices will climb at a rate of around 10 cents every year until co2 emissions return to “10 % of Co2 equivalent emissions in 1990. According to the environmental protection agency in 1990 the U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaled around 6,300 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.

Thus, the plan is to get emissions to around :

.90 X 6,300 million metric tons of Co2 emissions equals : 5670

6300 million metric tons – 5670 million metric tons equals: 630

So, while this proposal has great intentions and is great for the future of the planet and human race, how will it effect the present population?

 Sources:

http://fuelgaugereport.aaa.com/recent-gas-prices-motivating-americans-to-take-a-road-trip-this-year/

https://citizensclimatelobby.org/carbon-fee-and-dividend/

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/usinventoryreport.html