Tag: carbon tax

AEI Events Podcast

Carbon taxes: A problem or a solution? Remarks from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)

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In this AEI Events Podcast, AEI’s Aparna Mathur hosts Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who present their carbon tax proposal. They discuss what their plan would entail and comment on the importance and controversy surrounding their proposal.

Following the senators’ remarks, a panel of experts discusses the possible costs and benefits of a carbon tax proposal. Veronique de Rugy (Mercatus Center) argues that the potential benefits of a carbon tax policy are complicated and minimized by the drawbacks. George Frampton (Partnership for Responsible Growth) believes that the only solution will entail bipartisan compromise. Myron Ebell (Competitive Enterprise Institute) states that a carbon tax is “all pain and no gain” due to the loss of revenue. Adele Morris (Brookings Institution) argued that the proposal is an efficient and comprehensive plan.

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AEI Banter Podcast

Banter #277: Myron Ebell and George Frampton on carbon taxes

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Hosted by Ceci Gallogly & Spencer Moore

This week on Banter, Myron Ebell and George Frampton debate the advantages and disadvantages of implementing a carbon tax. Ebell is director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment and chair of the Cooler Heads Coalition. Frampton is a cofounder of The Partnership for Responsible Growth and was previously senior of counsel at Covington & Burling LLP in the firm’s climate and clean energy practice. Both participated in a panel discussion at AEI to discuss the implications of the carbon tax proposal Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced at the event. The link below will take you to the full event video.

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Trump’s Speech Should Have Been About Nuclear Power, Not the Paris Climate Agreement

James Pethokoukis
James Pethokoukis
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Maybe the best reason, such as it is, to support American withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement has nothing to do with the climate. Under President Obama, the United States agreed to a de facto treaty without submitting it to the Senate for ratification. As the editors at National Review rightly note, “In a government of laws, process matters.” Government certainly doesn’t need more unilateralism by its chief executive.

Unfortunately, the actual reasons driving withdrawal had more to do with populist politics, nationalism, partisanship, and unreasonable disbelief in climate science than constitutional conservatism. Oh, and plenty of reflexive anti-Obamaism in there, too.

What I worry about are a) the risks from doing something new to the planet, and b) that these sorts of risks — “arising in complex systems, full of interdependencies, feedback loops, and nonlinear responses” and taking place over a long period of time — are ones policymakers and voters have a tough time grappling with.

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The Libertarian

Tax Reform…But How?

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Hosted by Richard Epstein & Troy Senik

Richard Epstein examines the principles that should guide efforts to reform America’s tax system.

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Al Gore Gets Played Down Under

Stephen Dawson
Stephen Dawson
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algore_slapheadAl Gore, the former beloved leader-but-one of you Americans, is in Australia. And, boy, did he get played. He stood on a platform with an interesting new entrant to Australian politics, and got to witness Clive Palmer announce the abolition of Australia’s carbon tax. It will be replaced with… well, nothing really.

Clive Palmer is a new member of the Australia Parliament. He has a seat in the lower house, but thanks to his generous personal funding of candidates, he has a block of four newly elected Senators, who will be seated for six years from next week. He largely controls the balance of power in the Senate, so what he wants has suddenly become important here. But he’s not just an MP, he’s also the owner of coal mines, nickel refineries and assorted other goodies. A natural enemy of Al Gore, you’d think. Yet he got Gore to support (with some reluctance) his plan.

The new Australian government, under Prime Minister Tony Abbott, has promised to repeal a carbon tax introduced by the previous Labor government. Of course, this move is being opposed by Labor and the Greens in the Senate. With the new Senate (50 percent face election every three years) Palmer can break the deadlock and give Abbott what he wants. And that also benefits Palmer, given his business interests.

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