Letter: It Is Time For a Carbon Tax

Roughly fifty countries have enacted one sort of carbon tax or another, and they have worked to reduce carbon emissions. I reviewed several articles analyzing the various taxes, and found that there is a general agreement that the most successful model is the revenue neutral carbon tax instituted by British Columbia in 2008. It is considered successful because emissions have been reduced by 5 to 15 percent due to the tax, the economy has not been damaged, and the tax has widespread support by individuals, corporations and both political parties. The carbon taxes collected are returned to individuals, businesses and local governments via tax credits. The carbon tax alone is not enough to solve the environmental crisis we face, but no single thing will solve the crisis. It is time to get started on solutions, and a carbon tax would be a good start.