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Can Washington State Finally Put a Price On Carbon? (wired.com)
jwhyche writes: Beth Brunton walks around Seattle with a magenta umbrella. At 75 degrees and there not being a cloud in the sky, it gets peoples attention. What she is attempting to do is get people to sign a petition supporting Initiative 1631, known as the "Protect Washington Act." If this was to pass, Washington state would become the first state to adopt anything like a carbon tax. "The initiative proposes a 'fee on pollution' that would put a $15 charge on each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted in Washington starting in 2020," reports Wired. "That charge would rise by $2 plus inflation every year until the state meets its climate goals, which include cutting its carbon footprint 36 percent below 2005 levels by 2035. The revenue raised would go toward investing in clean energy; protecting the air, water, and forests; and helping vulnerable communities prepare for wildfires and sea-level rise."
The report mentions Washington's previous attempt at a "carbon tax" initiative, which was ultimately rejected. It would have initially charged businesses $25 per metric ton of emissions before ramping up over time.
The report mentions Washington's previous attempt at a "carbon tax" initiative, which was ultimately rejected. It would have initially charged businesses $25 per metric ton of emissions before ramping up over time.
Sigh, reading the bill.
https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets...
Protect Washington Act - Relating to reducing pollution by investing in clean air,
clean energy, clean water, healthy forests, and healthy communities
by imposing a fee on large emitters based on their pollution;
Its really, the CLEAN out your wallet act.
Funny that you'd think any of this tax would go towards the stated purpose. Politicians are notorious liars and wasteful spendthrifts. The money will be gone before you know it and they'll be back at the trough.
"That charge would rise by $2 plus inflation every year until the state meets its climate goals,"
Surprise! We didn't reach our goal again. Time to raise your taxes! So sorry about that. Better luck next time.
It will most likely end up being used in a few years to tax Boeing further. Basically the thought process would be "Boeing builds jets that burn lots of fossil fuels, so let's use this tax to pre-emptively tax Boeing's jets based upon the CO2 they will emit over their lifespan". A slick way to add a few million dollars of tax to every jet that rolls out of Paine Field...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!