Minnesota Introduces World's First Carbon Tariff
January 6, 2010 · Filed under: News
The first carbon tax to reduce the greenhouse gases from imports comes not between two nations, but between two states. Minnesota has passed a measure to stop carbon at its border with North Dakota. To encourage the switch to clean, renewable energy, Minnesota plans to add a carbon fee of between $4 and $34 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions to the cost of coal-fired electricity, to begin in 2012 … Minnesota has been generally pushing for cleaner power within its borders, but the utility companies that operate in MN have, over the past decades, sited a lot of coal power plants on the relatively cheap and open land of North Dakota, which is preparing a legal battle against Minnesota over the tariff.
4 Responses to “Minnesota Introduces World's First Carbon Tariff”
If I thought government would use the funds raised by any carbon tax to actually plant and nuture trees, I wouldn’t be so offended. They won’t.
The whole line of reasoning is that something taxed will be limited. That’s it! No trees, no solution, just more taxes.
So here’s my solution: Tax politicians increasingly each successive time they run for office. No term limits, just more tax. If we start taxing politicians, they start seeing the error of their ways.
Word!
That’s brilliant.. haha
Great idea, John. A tax on hot air. Should help with global warming, too.
John, you make an excellent point that any “carbon tax” should be go directly into efforts to improve the environment (plant trees, build wind turbines).
Carbon is a function of energy production “waste” and taxing it will reduce the waste of an economy from relying on “renting” energy from coal vs. “owning” a wind turbine that harvests power from the wind.
Just as hydro was significantly more expensive decades ago, but is cheaper than coal today, even so, Wind Turbines may be more expensive power producers today, but overtake coal in expense in just 20 years. Renewable Energy is a legacy investment that costs us a little more but benefits our children and grandchildren with a more efficient economy and a cleaner earth!