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Not just a carbon tax, but a system of well thought out taxes that cover the negative externalities of every part of pollution so that the market can efficiently allocate investments. For example, most people don't know that coal causes more radiation damage to humans than nuclear. Why is this? Because coal gets released right into the atmosphere, while spent fuel rods get stored away from human contact.

I know that there are political realities that prevent all of the taxes that should be in effect from coming into effect, but those political realities can change once the issue is reframed. Every dollar of pollution tax could, for example, be directed at lowering the income tax rate. This can make the proposal much more tenable to voters and the more right wing side of the intelligentsia that pushes for changes in government policy.




That sounds like a lovely economist's utopia, but probably we should be tackling our problems one at a time


> well thought out taxes that cover the negative externalities of every part of pollution so that the market can efficiently allocate investments

But it's not "the market" that decides how electricity is produced in a country, right? It's the government.


Good point




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