Thread: Carbon tax?

Originally Posted by Rajagra

If you think a carbon tax is anything other than an abstract concept designed to manipulate behaviour and take money off people then maybe you've been inhaling too much of your own carbon emissions? ... Can we see receipts?

Of course not, it's just revenue for the government. It's all a big con.

While I'm not convinced either way about whether there is problematic climate change, it occurs to me that something is at work in this issue that I have not seen acknowledged anywhere. (Are you waiting for it with baited breath?)

It strikes me that this is the fear du jour -- the latest and greatest "end times" prophesy.

And we always, always, always seem have some such fear operating collectively in society.

Originally Posted by BrentonC

While I'm not convinced either way about whether there is problematic climate change, it occurs to me that something is at work in this issue that I have not seen acknowledged anywhere. (Are you waiting for it with baited breath?)

It strikes me that this is the fear du jour -- the latest and greatest "end times" prophesy.

And we always, always, always seem have some such fear operating collectively in society.

I agree, through history, fear is, was, and probably always will be a perfect trojan horse for those who want to further an agenda, implement a course of action not otherwise implementable without the fear factor, etc (says under his breath: "Patriot Act, Dept of Homeland Security" COUGH!)

Chris L

The majority of the factories left in the U.S. have standards that either eliminate or reduce emissions. The greater truth is that most of the factories have moved to China, Mexico and elsewhere. Shouldnt the carbon tax, if necessary be imposed on1) the countries with the factories ,2) without emissions standards. BTW, what do plants breathe?

It's nice to see there are some people with heads on their shoulders. I live in Ithaca NY. Maybe you aren't familiar with us? We're the Berkeley of the 21st century. We were the only city in NY STATE- thats right the whole state- to vote for Obama in the Primaries. All other democrats went Hillary, all Reps basically went McCain. Its so f***ing frustrating. I'm not calling them wrong or anything, but the people here are brainwashed. We read Michael Pollan's The Omnivores Dilemma as an example of bad arguments, even though it gets critical acclaim for being neutral. I quote a friend of mine: "Wait, you're Catholic Karl? I thought you were smart..." Anyway I digress. What I wanted to bring up, is if we are using this tax to gain government revenue, and as a side thing keep the planet from changing, aren't we doing the wrong thing? Like, if the planet is SUPPOSED to heat, but we hold it the same, isn't the net effect human global cooling? And I'd like to point out that our first atmosphere was a noxious mix of poisons (HCN, SO2, etc...) which led to the random formation of protein and DNA... which led to bacteria, which metabolised the atmosphere until it changed to O2, which allowed the further development of life. What if the change in atmosphere were to allow new, better life on our planet, and we stopped it? Then we would really be f***ed.

There are those who see opportunities in the middle of a disaster for self-serving exploitation without regard for the welfare of others. Maybe they even fan the flames.

On the other side (which is where I was focussed), there's the chicken little types who are too nervous about the sky falling, nuclear holocaust, killer bees, HIV, Legionaires disease, bird flu, swine flu, global warming, global cooling, life anihilating comets, aliens, Russians, etc.

The majority of people, I think, tend to resemble the latter. If not agitated to the point of focussing on it, we're at least a little bothered by it.

"It". Always an external threat, insidiously conspiring or just ... weaselling to get in and tear down and destroy what we work so hard to build uup-- a good life, home, family, future, etc.

I don't deny there is real trouble in the world, but I think the level of anxiety about it has something to do with a REAL and truly insidious process that is not outside but actually inside us, and being projected outward. I suggest it is our natural fear of deterioration and death. We, of course, know it all too well, yet we still struggle mightily against it. One way of coping is to try and contain an unacceptable impulse by projecting it somewhere else, on something else, and then working to exclude, attack, devalue, destroy that "something else."

Like, for example, twin blade disposable razors and aerosol shave creams. Yeah. They's the real enemy!

;-D

Rant over, soap box dismounted.

I agree. If we were to live our lives worrying all the time, what would we do? Statistically 1 out of every 30 people gets injured in a car accident, do we stop driving? 1/3 people get breast/prostate cancer, 1/10 get skin cancer, almost all smokers get lung, mouth or throat cancer at some point. We don't worry about that every second of every day. Earthquakes and Tsunamis occur with almost no warning and indiscriminately kill, injure and financial damage hundreds of thousands of people. We can't afford to worry about static threats...

OH, I gotta say one more thing about a carbon tax.

Without so much as a single thought to this issue, and the environment, I bought a CARBON steel straight razor.

Yes, I'm guilty. Shame on me.

wow...someone called me "scary ignorant" for having MY opinion...buts that's ok. the person who called that is probably the kind of person who i would think is a crazy ignorant as well, so no harm done!

haven't time proved that most companies are greedy and they are willing to scarify everything just to make more money?

even if global warming is not real...let keep the water and air clean...last time i check i need oxygen and clean water

i would tax all CO2 on all factory in the US and factories from US owners in other parts of the world...

but i guess that will never happen...
all senators are for sale...and those people give them too much money to let that happen...

Originally Posted by pio

wow...someone called me "scary ignorant" for having MY opinion...buts that's ok. the person who called that is probably the kind of person who i would think is a crazy ignorant as well, so no harm done!

haven't time proved that most companies are greedy and they are willing to scarify everything just to make more money?

even if global warming is not real...let keep the water and air clean...last time i check i need oxygen and clean water

i would tax all CO2 on all factory in the US and factories from US owners in other parts of the world...

but i guess that will never happen...
all senators are for sale...and those people give them too much money to let that happen...

Pio, I hope you don't think I implied you were "scary ignorant" (not my words if you mean me). What exactly were you referring to?

Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Pio, I hope you don't think I implied you were "scary ignorant" (not my words if you mean me). What exactly were you referring to?

Chris L

I dont know who was it...
someone add a negative reputation with that comment on my profile...