Carbon Taxes

Sensible people* agree: carbon taxes are the simplest and best way to control carbon emissions.

So why can't we do it, and I'm talking mostly about the US here?

Because people don't like them.  Of course people mostly don't like any taxes, but carbon taxes are particularly anathema here in the US of A, and that goes double for the West, where roads are long and places worth stopping at are hard to come by.

I estimate that roughly 90%** of the vehicles that I see daily are pickups, and a good percentage of them are 4x4s with monster tires. A good chunk of these secure those tires with beadlock rims.  I can't think of anybody who needs beadlocks who doesn't do serious off-roading and rock crawling.  If all those beadlock bedecked tires are out crawling every weekend it's hard to believe our mountains aren't already dust.

Anyway, people out here love their SUVs and trucks, so any residual concern for the grandkids takes a poor second to the prime directive of keeping gas cheap.

*which is to say, people who happen to agree with me, maybe even including Connolley in this particular case.

** Would you believe 40%?

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