The U.S. Government should tax carbon emissions. - Inspired by George David, chairman of United Technologies Corp.

I think a lot of people don't really understand a problem until they have to pay for it. This might be a way of really getting Americans to understand the importance of energy efficiency, and the cost, not just in taxes, but what it is really doing to our environment. We certainly don't want more taxes in our lives, but it is going to be hard to educate many people out there reluctant to a necessary change.

People don't understand Global Warming because it is a fallacy to believe we could do anything worthwhile about it. The earth has been changing in temperature for all of time, what about the global cooling crisis in the 70's. The government should tax people for blindly following the media.

But if you really want to tax people more, then fine, little Johnny can wait for his new shoes and continue with the ones with holes in them. I am exaggerating a bit to make a point. We live a free country, why should the government always be punishing our freedoms? What happened to people believing in the statement; "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?"

If you honestly believe the fallacy of global warming, start living like it and convince your friends and family to live like it too. Create real change instead of forced change.

I think a cap and trade policy sounds better than a carbon tax.

Better to set a definite cap - a tax is just a tacked on cost to polluting, an attempt to take into count the externality of polluting into the pricing of energy and goods - this has a benefit - it attempts to set the price at the correct level where other cleaner energies can compete. Also a carbon tax would hypothetically effect every industry, not just the energy sector, where cap and trades are initially proposed.

But a simple tax will not have an easily predictable effect on the output of CO2 in the atmosphere. People for taxes as opposed to a cap worry that a cap set too low could kill economic growth - but if you're serious about the environment, and believe that scientists have a good enough understanding of global warming to set a specific cap for CO2 in order to prevent disaster, you have to be for a cap.

I believe that a cap and trade will result in more energy innovation compared to a simple tax - also I have extreme reservations over how the government will spend the additional revenue. I'd rather the money find it's way to the private sector, and a cap and trade is a more market-oriented system.

1. What's amazing to me is that SO many people are buying into the idea that the science is done and proven. It is not. There are way too many scientists out there that totally disagree with man-made global warming and until the entire scientific community has a true consensus, I think we non-scientists should just stop talking and quit trying to sell it.

2. In addition, for crying out loud,...North America used to be covered in Glaciers, and they've been melting for 1000's of years,....but SUV's and freon have only been around for a few decades. It's so presumptuous to assume we mere humans have ANYTHING to do with affecting mother Earth's climate. Give me a break. Oh, that's right, we're speeding it up,...that's the comeback. Measured within only the last 100 years, not the true temps of ALL TIME to see ALL cycles, and this 1 degree is making me sweat more than I need to be, indeed.

3. GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR LIVES! We are a free nation. We don't need Government intervention into everything we do! I just don't understand why people think the government is the answer to all our issues.

4. And quit using the tax code to steer behavior! What a croc!! I support the FairTax because it doesn't discriminate and it doesn't allow politicians in Washington to steer behavior and play class warfare.

5. Global Warming and "Going Green" is already a marketing slogan and an "in" thing to do. You're in business today? Want to attract cool customers? Then change your website and logo to include something about being "green"! Fast Company has certainly bought into it and does a great job of promoting it. It's great to care for the environment and your community, but most company's do it to attract customers, not because they really want to steer hurricanes and ozone holes away from their business.

God Bless America!!! Let's Stay Free!!

A tax on carbon would be ludicrous. The last thing we need is to be giving government even more money to expand in size and another excuse for our businesses to go overseas. Furthermore, the debate on whether carbon creates global warming is not over, contrary to what the media likes to claim. Carbon isn't even technically a pollutant.

Government taxes us already enough; the way to control government is to starve it of revenue, not give it more.

A carbon tax or cap-and-trade scheme will also make us less competitive in the global economy because of China and India, who have stated flat-out that they will not reduce their carbon emissions if it means hurting their economies.

What people also seem to be unaware of is that the peer-reviewed economic analyses for the most part have concluded that at most, carbon emissions should be reduced only a minor amount.

Don't get me wrong, I am no anarchist who wants no government, I understand government is necessary for a capitalist system to function, but government needs to be kept as small as possible.

NO TO A CARBON TAX!

I'm glad to see that informed people are visiting this site, because we have had enough fear mongering. Humans may be doing a lot of bad things to local environments and causing urban heat island effects, but there is no scientific evidence and data to support the theory that humans are causing climate change. Anyone buying into the global warming scare is ignoring this fact, and believing climate models that are not accurate one year in advance, and don't even include cloud cover in the models! A carbon tax is a scam...pure and simple.

This is a world-wide problem and while the United States could set an example(taxing carbon emissions). Should they?

Do you really think China (major emissions contributor) ever will follow? And if they do, will it be too late?

The US Government should tax the bejeesus out of rich people. they can't spend all their money anyway.

Wow - what a great idea! Everyone using United Technologies engines will have to buy new ones that are more "carbon friendly" ;)

And Ooops! 50,000 physicists now concede that human-caused global warming isn't likely:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/18/a-bad-day-for-the-red-ho...

Also, Europe has had a huge carbon/fossil fuel tax for decades - they pay more than twice what we do for gas. It hasn't worked - miles driven has been increasing.

Whenever you see a quote like this, please remember that CEOs and Ivy League MBAs pass through rigorous morality mitigation training that motivates them to lie like dogs to increase numbers, and to avoid personal responsibility like the plaque.

First of all, they already do - it's called the Federal income tax, which is levied on all carbon emitting Americans. Second, this is just another thinly veiled money grab. I'll stay away from the politics of global warming (this time), but rest assured, the money won't actually go for greening the planet - just the wallets of the politicians and their wealthiest benefactors and constituents. If rather than having taxes withheld from our paychecks we had to write a check at the end of the year for the full amount of the taxes we pay, there would undoubtedly be greater accountability for our elected officials. There are other ways to solve problems besides throwing money at them. Is this our first answer in our personal lives? Has it worked with any other problem the government has attempted to solve e.g. public education, the war on poverty, drugs, etc?