Governments and the media have focused on cutting our green house gases. Lowering our carbon foot print in any manner to help lower these climate, and health altering gases is the main priority. Our efforts to switch to renewable energy sources is one way to achieve this, but it does not address the fundamental truth, that everything we produce and consume creates a carbon footprint.
Bethlehem Steel
I believe that Copenhagen will fail because we are not addressing this fundamental issue. Trying to cut greenhouse gases and setting a target is the right thing to do. But, we need to change our entire approach to creating and consuming. A carbon consumption tax could do that. Western industrial nations have shown gains in cleaning their air and water supplies. Part of the reason is that the West exported steel mills, and complete factories to China. China has built their economy on building things the West no longer wanted to build. The West exported its pollution to China. Despite this, the West still imports these items, and is just as guilty as China is in producing green house gases through our consumption. A carbon tax would be the first neutral border tax that could help industry and consumers alter their ways. For example, if we establish a carbon tax on all imported and domestic automobiles, then the tax impacts all auto manufacturers and consumers alike. The tax should be an incentive to manufacturers to find ways to lower their carbon emissions in everything they produce. The tax should be gradual, but it should show manufacturers that if they build more efficient plants and goods, the tax would have less of an impact on their operations. The consumption tax must be placed eventually on every good produced and consumed. But, the more practical way is to start the tax on items we know have the greatest environmental impact, like steel mills and fossil fuels, where we know what their impact is on the environment. An incentive must be in place for manufacturers and consumers to migrate to lower carbon foot print products and services. Only then can we really see a global effort to change the way we produce, consume, and lower our carbon footprint.
John Vlahakis
Photo Credit: © Francis Tousignant -www.ftousignant.com
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