Letter of the Day: Carbon tax

Carbon tax

EDITOR: The evidence is compelling: Earth is getting warmer. The polar caps are melting at an alarming rate, and in a few generations those "children and grandchildren" who politicians keep telling us will inherit our financial debt will instead have to worry about keeping their heads above water literally rather than figuratively.

Scientists tell us Earth is warming due to trapped greenhouse gases, and a major cause is carbon dioxide emissions produced by the combustion of carbon-based fuels - primarily oil, coal and natural gas.

I believe an effective means to slow global warming would be a carbon tax, based on the concept that the more emissions from production or use of a product, the greater the tax and consequently the greater the cost of the product. If capitalism works as it's supposed to, we would slowly reduce the demand for carbon-emission producing products and services. And, hopefully, we would use the tax proceeds to develop alternatives.

The carbon tax has been out there for many years now. California has taken steps to impose a tame version, but I think it is time the United States and other nations consider it to help save our planet from a scary future.

WILLIAM TURNER

Forestville