It seems every month or so a new survey comes out showing that people say they are willing to pay something to reduce/prevent/circumvent/cope with climate change. Here's the latest:
Millions of people around the world are willing to make personal sacrifices, including paying higher bills, to help redress climate change, a global survey said on Monday.
The basic findings...
- The survey found 83 percent of those questioned believed lifestyle changes would be necessary to cut emissions of climate warming carbon gases.
- 61 percent overall said it would be necessary to increase energy costs to encourage conservation and reduce carbon emissions
Hmmm. That implies either supplies are decreasing or we're taxing energy consumption. If we target demand reductions, then energy consumption and prices will both decrease.
- to provide incentives for those changes there will need to be an increase in the cost of energy that contributes to climate change
Incentives are good. But incentives don't have to increase the cost of existing energy. What if, instead of taxing existing energy, we subsidize the consumption of renewables? The result would be a decrease in the demand for existing energy--which will lower the price.
- The response to climate taxes was more muted than that on raised energy prices
Anyone know the difference between a climate tax and raised energy prices? Most tax proposals I've seen result in higher energy prices.
- There was also a greater acceptance of higher green taxes if they were offset by cuts in taxation elsewhere so the net effect on the individual's pocket was neutral.
At the risk of sounding childish..and being told to grow up--again...Duh.