What do people think about Green taxes?
By snowflake5
@snowflake5 (1579)
United States
December 11, 2006 8:56am CST
Green taxes are taxes on behaviours that hurt the environment, eg burning fuel that produce CO2 emmissions.
There is no doubt that taxing does reduce the bad behaviours. For example, Europe consumes MUCH less petrol than the USA because tax on fuel has meant that manufacturers are incentivised to make fuel efficient cars, and consumers are incentivised to buy the smallest, most fuel efficient cars. A bonus from this is that we are not as dependant on Middle East/Russian oil as the Americans.
But at the same time it's very irritating to have to pay tax, even though in the long run changing behaviour is beneficial?
What do people think? Are green taxes a good or bad thing?
2 people like this
5 responses
@john_essex (199)
•
26 Feb 07
Nobody likes taxes, but it is an effective way to modify peoples behaviour. Many people are putting their heads in the sand and ignoring the green issues. For those people the only time they take notice is when there is money at stake.
In the UK loads of people complain about the price of petrol and yet they drive cars with excessively large engines. I own two cars and drive a lot for work, I probably cover around 20K miles per year. Even so I would still like to see petrol prices go up, say to around £1.50 per litre. This would reduce the amount of traffic on the roads meaning my journeys would be easier and more efficient. It would also push the manufacturers to keep improving fuel enconomy.
I also believe that certain industries should get a tax rebate on their fuel, for example bus companies and transport companies. We also need to ensure that there is a suitable alternative method of transport, i.e. buses and trains.
1 person likes this
@snowflake5 (1579)
• United States
26 Feb 07
£1.50 per litre! That made me gulp.
I agree with you though that the fuel price can't be that high if people are able to be as wasteful as they are. It's not just the size of their engines, it's things like speeding. Driving at about 55mph reduces the amount of fuel you use for a particular distance, compared to driving at say 70 mph. Yet you see people bombing along at great speed, and then complaining about speed cameras. If they drove slower they'd save the cost of the fine and save money on petrol too.
Another little stat: during the fuel crisis in 2000, unleaded was 83p a litre, it's now 86p in 2007 - seven years later. That works out to an increase of 0.5% per annum. Yet in the meanwhile salaries and wages have increased quite a bit.
Ultimately they can't do anything till public transport improves. Because people have to get from A to B somehow.
@snowflake5 (1579)
• United States
28 Feb 07
Yes, I agree. Last year the government announced that fuel efficient driving would be part of the driving test (apparently they do this in Germany already). But that only takes care of newbie drivers. It's the bulk of existing drivers' poor skills that are the problem!
@john_essex (199)
•
27 Feb 07
Good point about the speed. I notice a huge difference in MPG between 50mph and 80mph not that I ever break the speed limit :)
Another interesting point regarding speed is that if people slow down a bit the traffic flows more smoothly, which in turn saves fuel.
1 person likes this
@trouble4u2avoid (2915)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I think green taxes are a good thing. It bites to pay more, but it also has encourage people to make changes. And you're absolutely right about America and China.
Right now, people are given a tax break for using hybrid cars.
I think it will take a few years, but I think the outcome will benefit everyone.
@snowflake5 (1579)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I hope you are right. I think we have just 5-8 years to tackle this. After that it's too late and instead of trying to keep out lifestyles while tackling climate change, it will be about having to adapt to whatever the climate throws at us.
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
11 Dec 06
I think, the more expensive something is, the less people will use it. So, taxing fuel, or cars that aren't fuel efficient is a good way to reduce use.
@snowflake5 (1579)
• United States
11 Dec 06
I agree. But in the short term, it's a pain to have to pay more!
@gary236 (83)
•
15 Dec 06
Let me give an example of a tax on flying. Aviation is a very small contributor to C02 emissions yet they are proposing to up the price of it dramatically, hurting ordinary British families who can now afford to fly abroad when they could never in the past. I think it is another excuse in general to take more money out of our pocket - the best way is to give incentives for people to change their lifestyle. I'd start by building hydrogen filling stations for these new cars we read about!
@snowflake5 (1579)
• United States
15 Dec 06
I don't think they've upped the cost of flying "dramatically". The airline tax on short-haul was £10 in 1997, was cut by Gordon Brown to £5, but has been put back up to £10 as a sop to "doing something" about green issues. But he hasn't put it up enough to break the bank.
I agree that penalising the poor is the wrong way to go. My preferred method of tackling green issues is International Agreements where we get the Americans and Chinese to pull their weight.
@AmbiePam (85593)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I don't really agree with "green" taxes. If you can only take what is available and affordable, then how are you at fault? Most Americans I know would bUy a fuel efficient or hybrid car, IF they could afford it. And mainstream America cannot. It is not possible. So what works for one country most defintely doesn't always work for another.
@snowflake5 (1579)
• United States
28 Feb 07
The most fuel efficient cars are small cars (the lighter the weight of the car, the less fuel needed to propel it). Most small cars are way cheaper than large cars. So I'm afraid it's just plain false that no one can "afford" to be fuel efficient. Not only can people afford it, they'd be financially better off if they went down the green route - they'd save twice over - once on the cost of the car, and secondly on the cost of the fuel
