Have Carbon Taxes Worked?

Question

I'm not interested in conspiracy theories, just data on whether or not they've delivered results, given that some countries in Europe have used them for nearly two decades now.

Neither gasoline prices rising from 25 cents per gallon to $4 per gallon nor California's particularly high taxes on gas have curbed gasoline usage, so it seems illogical to assume that taxes would have any affect on consumption.

Answer 1

Europe is certainly ahead of the US in terms of decreasing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, let's compare some of the countries where gas prices are most expensive to their per capita CO2 emissions (data from links below).

The top 10 most expensive gas nations are Uruguay, the UK, Israel, Argentina, Japan, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Burundi, and Denmark.

In terms of per capita CO2 emissions, those countries rank #185, 47, 42, 63, 50, 35, 57, 32, 169, and 39.  Most are very industrialized countries.

The US ranks #102 in gas prices and #14 in CO2 emissions.  Compared to the UK, in the US gas costs 2.5 times less and per capita CO2 emissions are twice as high.  Those are 2 similar countries, and that's a pretty clear inverse relationship between gas prices and CO2 emissions.

On top of that, Europeans have much more fuel efficient cars than we do in the US.  Much of that has to do with fuel efficiency regulations, but I'm sure consumer demand due to high gas prices plays a big role as well.  After all, their governments couldn't pass strict fuel efficiency regulations if the citizens didn't support it.

Personally I think a carbon cap and trade system would be better than a carbon tax, but I certainly think that a carbon tax would help reduce CO2 emissions, and the data supports this conclusion.

*edit* It does certainly also depend on what's done with the tax revenue.  My analysis examined gas price vs. CO2 emissions though.  I think it's clear that high gas prices generally lead to lower CO2 emissions, regardless of how the high prices are achieved (via gas tax or otherwise).  And it's certainly not a universal rule, just a general one.

Answer 2

A carbon tax would work well on a worldwide basis.

Taxing carbon worldwide would avoid leakages meaning that industries would have no interest to go to a "carbon haven".

This problem of leakages is common to most taxes and this is why rich people tend to go to the Carribean Islands.

But keep in mind that not all sectors are exposed: it is for example not possible to easily import electricity from China. In turn it might be able to apply this tax to the electricity sector and redistribute its revenue to electricity users to avoid an increase of price. This model already worked well in Sweden for NOx emissions for example.

PS: Oil prices worked... for the first time in 2006-2007, Americans drove less. But let´s be honest, the objective is not to limit the mobility of citizens, it´s to emitt less CO2. With 50% more efficient car, even with a doubled price for oil, it doesn´t cost more to drive, but CO2 emissions are being halved.

Answer 3

:-( --------carbon taxes

:-)---------no carbon taxes

no

Answer 4

It depends on how you define "work", but I'm very, very skeptical of these.  I found out recently that the EPA issues "exemptions" to companies who pollute egregiously.  They pay a fine, the EPA gets money, and they go right on polluting.  They have a list of these exemptions on their website.  I have #5 on that list a few miles from my home.  The pollution goes into the Little Blue River, which empties into the Missouri, which empties into the Mississippi.  St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans and others are treated to very toxic substances in their drinking water.  Carbon Credits sound like another version of the same concept.  The atmosphere is going to be wholly indifferent to them.  They sound like one more government license to pollute.  I know Europe is doing a good job (they need to), but I'm unconvinced its due to carbon credits.

Answer 5

I agree with darrell, taxes never work!

I see Dana is still spouting off about things he or she has no knowledge about whatsoever.

In the UK we are now paying over $8 US per US gallon.

All this has managed to do so far is help to fuel inflation and making it nearly impossible to live anymore.

People can not grasp the simple concept that if you raise the price of fuel that there is a knock on effect for everyone.

As  fuel prices increase, the cost of transportation of goods will increase, electricity prices increase, etc...

Every single item that you buy is going to be more expensive simply because those extra costs are passed on to the consumer!

People are actually dying in this country in winter simply because they can not afford to heat their homes!

I'm still young enough that I can at least keep my coat on all day and keep the temperature below 60F. It isn't the way I would prefer to live but I have no other choice!

So if what you call 'Carbon Taxes' are working or not I guess that would really depend on what you consider as 'working'!

If it means making a cleaner environment or stopping a natural cycle that many people like to refer to as 'Global Warming' the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT!

If it means that it is a way to burden people with one more useless tax, then the answer is unfortunately YES!

People like Dana, who through arrogance and stupidity, will continue to lead the western civilization to the grave given half a chance. (And sadly won't realize it until it is too late and has started to affect them.) They won't even realize that they were responsible for their own downfall!

I say get off this worthless subject about 'Global Warming', or at least learn some basic science.

Enjoy the current warming trend that we have while it lasts because it would only take another major volcanic explosion like Krakatoa to s***w it up for all of us, almost overnight(geologically speaking that is).

Answer 6

taxes don't work period, it is just a way for the government to obtain money. if taxes worked like the people who propose them say they will , them we wouldn't have poverty, and starvation, and unemployment, and we would have better educated children and a higher standard of living for retired people, and on, and on. that's just here in the USA.

Answer 7

Taxes NEVER work, ever, never, ever,ever.  Got that ?  never.