What Global Warming!

[Otsog]

I don't think anyone is under the impression some bureaucratic pencil jockey is going to solve global warming or that's where the resources would be going.  Government has a pretty remarkable track record of innovation when it comes to Public-Private partnerships working together to solve science/engineering problems.

[rkbabang]

I don't think anyone is under the impression some bureaucratic pencil jockey is going to solve global warming or that's where the resources would be going.  Government has a pretty remarkable track record of innovation when it comes to Public-Private partnerships working together to solve science/engineering problems.

 

I do hear a lot of talk about a carbon tax though.  This would be just a bundle of cash sucked out of the economy and into the general coffers to be pissed away.  It wouldn't help the situation and could delay the development of real technologies that would. If nothing else it would make us all poorer and slow progress in the developing world as well.  We went through our polluting stage and are now making progress on renewables, recycling, and conservation, the best thing we can do for the planet is get the developing world through its industrialization stage as quickly as possible.  Getting rid of trade restrictions, protectionism, and tariffs will do more for the planet in the long run than just about anything else the government could do.

[jeffmori7]

I don't think anyone is under the impression some bureaucratic pencil jockey is going to solve global warming or that's where the resources would be going.  Government has a pretty remarkable track record of innovation when it comes to Public-Private partnerships working together to solve science/engineering problems.

 

I do hear a lot of talk about a carbon tax though.  This would be just a bundle of cash sucked out of the economy and into the general coffers to be pissed away.  It wouldn't help the situation and could delay the development of real technologies that would. If nothing else it would make us all poorer and slow progress in the developing world as well.  We went through our polluting stage and are now making progress on renewables, recycling, and conservation, the best thing we can do for the planet is get the developing world through its industrialization stage as quickly as possible.  Getting rid of trade restrictions, protectionism, and tariffs will do more for the planet in the long run than just about anything else the government could do.

 

But a carbon tax or any mechanism on pricing the carbon would be a way to make capitalism work by using the market mechanism to account for many externalities. It should help us to reflect the true cost of many things. Where currently many private companies get all the profits, and then send back the real cost to government (so to us in the end). Solving global warming and protecting the environment is not about left or right, but at least you have to find a way to quantify environmental damage and put a price on it, so at least the market can do its magic for real, not like it is going nowadays.

[Kiltacular]

I don't think anyone is under the impression some bureaucratic pencil jockey is going to solve global warming or that's where the resources would be going.  Government has a pretty remarkable track record of innovation when it comes to Public-Private partnerships working together to solve science/engineering problems.

 

I do hear a lot of talk about a carbon tax though.  This would be just a bundle of cash sucked out of the economy and into the general coffers to be pissed away.  It wouldn't help the situation and could delay the development of real technologies that would. If nothing else it would make us all poorer and slow progress in the developing world as well.  We went through our polluting stage and are now making progress on renewables, recycling, and conservation, the best thing we can do for the planet is get the developing world through its industrialization stage as quickly as possible.  Getting rid of trade restrictions, protectionism, and tariffs will do more for the planet in the long run than just about anything else the government could do.

 

"I do hear a lot of talk about a carbon tax though.  This would be just a bundle of cash sucked out of the economy and into the general coffers to be pissed away."

 

Yes.  Borrowing from the other thread, we could call is the "Bank for America Carbon Tax" -- suck it and piss it away...with the "right" people taking a good skim.  5 to 10% of $100 billion per year seems fair.  An annual tobacco settlement kind of thing.

 

Btw, where does the money from the bank settlements really go? -- seriously (not the money to homeowners).  Anyone know?

[rkbabang]

I don't think anyone is under the impression some bureaucratic pencil jockey is going to solve global warming or that's where the resources would be going.  Government has a pretty remarkable track record of innovation when it comes to Public-Private partnerships working together to solve science/engineering problems.

 

I do hear a lot of talk about a carbon tax though.  This would be just a bundle of cash sucked out of the economy and into the general coffers to be pissed away.  It wouldn't help the situation and could delay the development of real technologies that would. If nothing else it would make us all poorer and slow progress in the developing world as well.  We went through our polluting stage and are now making progress on renewables, recycling, and conservation, the best thing we can do for the planet is get the developing world through its industrialization stage as quickly as possible.  Getting rid of trade restrictions, protectionism, and tariffs will do more for the planet in the long run than just about anything else the government could do.

 

"I do hear a lot of talk about a carbon tax though.  This would be just a bundle of cash sucked out of the economy and into the general coffers to be pissed away."

 

Yes.  Borrowing from the other thread, we could call is the "Bank for America Carbon Tax" -- suck it and piss it away...with the "right" people taking a good skim.  5 to 10% of $100 billion per year seems fair.  An annual tobacco settlement kind of thing.

 

Btw, where does the money from the bank settlements really go? -- seriously (not the money to homeowners).  Anyone know?

 

When the mob requires you to pay protection money so that they can "protect" your neighborhood, where does the money go?  Now you have your answer.  There is a good reason that the Washington D.C. area is becoming the wealthiest region in the United States. Why create wealth when you just can take it?