Alan Doyon: A CO2 tax is not the answer

To The Daily Sun,

A recent letter to the editor supported a new CO2 tax and claims the full amount collected would be reissued to citizens as a "rebate." Anyone that believes that should look into buying the oceanfront property in Arizona. It's impossible for any tax to be administered without any collection cost. That is beyond naive to believe there would be no cost incurred to enforce payment, collect taxation, determine the redistribution amounts, and to issue payments to citizens. That alone should immediately make the proposition for a CO2 tax to not be considered.

The letter writer goes on to make a number of unsubstantiated claims such as a 40 percent reduction of U.S. emissions in 12 years and that it will create 2.1 million jobs. No mention is made of how those jobs will be created or at what cost, it’s assumed that they will magically be created without any cost to other segments of the economy. If there is no cost involved and 2.1 million new jobs can be created, does the writer really think it would occur due to the pure economics of capitalism? Obviously, such change doesn’t occur without cost or it wouldn’t need a new CO2 tax to encourage it. Alas, all these proposals, even if fully enacted as suggested, would be too late according to prior claims from experts, like AOC, since they have claimed the world will end by 2031 due to carbon emissions. Similar to claims the oceans will rise.

Full compliance with the Paris Climate Accord by the U.S. and other developed nations is projected to cost trillions of dollars and result in a net reduction of worldwide temperature in 80 YEARS of 0.05 degrees centigrade (0.086 degrees Fahrenheit), affording to Dr. Bjorn Lomborg.

YES, that is LESS THAN one-tenth of one degree! All this money spent to stem the output of CO2 should instead go to improving the welfare of mankind across the world, or said differently, invested in areas that need an economic boost so more people can become self-sufficient and live better lives.

Don’t fall for the BS that a CO2 tax will be the answer! Even a thread of common sense refutes the statement that all fees collected would be allocated back fairly to all Americans, without cost. All costs incurred by businesses will be passed through to customers as price increases. Any dividend you may get will simply reimburse you for added costs from a CO2 tax plus more government bureaucracy controlling your life.

Alan Doyon

Meredith