Tax the carbon!

Another good article about some good reasons to tax carbon emissions from fossil fuel use.

A taxing solution to the greatest challenge of our time

"One of the simplest ways to slow the pace of climate change is by levying a fee on greenhouse gas emissions.

Putting a price on burning oil, gas, and coal that reflects the damage inflicted on the environment will make renewable energy alternatives (like solar, geothermal, and wind) and energy-reducing investments more competitive. 

Our friend Alan Rushforth lives near Philadelphia and started a small solar-powered water-heating business a few years ago. Even with state and federal subsidies, it took Rushforth Solar's customers five to seven years to break even compared with the cost of installing natural gas heaters, so it was a tough sell. 

"If there were a 10 to 15 percent fee on carbon pollution, with a schedule of more increases to come, it would light a fire under all sorts of energy saving technologies and behaviors," Alan said. "Not just hot water solar."

And I must myself point out -- taxing carbon emissions would provide funds for the R&D required to bring small modular nuclear reactors into the market and energy mix.