So, as I suspected all along; according to an article in todays Independent, the public don’t support “green” taxes.
"More than seven in 10 voters insist that they would not be willing to pay higher taxes in order to fund projects to combat climate change, according to a new poll. "
"More than seven in 10 voters insist that they would not be willing to pay higher taxes in order to fund projects to combat climate change, according to a new poll. "
Wow! What a revelation: people don’t want to pay money to save the planet. For some bizarre reason the mainstream environmental movement still think that money and the planet mix, and that if they can only persuade governemnts to impose taxes to change behaviour then everything will get better. For instance:
"It’s tax time - time to fight global warming and save yourself some green at the same time.
"Federal, state, and local governments offer a range of tax incentives, grants, and loans that will help you save energy, fight global warming, reduce your energy bills, and let you keep more green in your wallet after Tax Day comes around."
That’s our old friends The Sierra Club, talking up the “green dollar”.
"Increasing taxes on fossil fuels is an essential weapon in the Government’s armoury for tackling climate change. And if Alistair Darling used these extra taxes to cut those on people and jobs, it would be extremely popular too. It’s time the Treasury played its full part in delivering a low-carbon economy."
Friends of the Earth this time.
It’s a funny subject, because governments are loathe to impose punative taxation on environmentally damaging activities — well, that would mean taxing everything, really — which would seem to suggest that “green” taxes are actually a good thing for the environment. Sure, a 100% increase in fuel duty might make people think twice about buying fuel, but it would also be a guaranteed vote loser. In an age of apparent environmental awareness, why should that be?
*The simple fact is that the whole of civilization is geared towards making money.*
Who wouldn’t complain if someone tried to take it away from you — for environmental reasons or not. The environmental mainstream are terminally stuck in a mindset that says it is possible to make things better by working within the system — imposing “green” taxes, making business “greener”, buying “green” products — the very system that is nothing without economic growth.
Fools!
Back to the Independent article:
"The results of the poll by Opinium, a leading research company, indicate that maintaining popular support for green policies may be a difficult act to pull off, and attempts in the future to curb car use and publicly fund investment in renewable resources will prove deeply unpopular."
That’s not news — that’s just the way things are in this consumption culture.
"It’s tax time - time to fight global warming and save yourself some green at the same time.
"Federal, state, and local governments offer a range of tax incentives, grants, and loans that will help you save energy, fight global warming, reduce your energy bills, and let you keep more green in your wallet after Tax Day comes around."
That’s our old friends The Sierra Club, talking up the “green dollar”.
"Increasing taxes on fossil fuels is an essential weapon in the Government’s armoury for tackling climate change. And if Alistair Darling used these extra taxes to cut those on people and jobs, it would be extremely popular too. It’s time the Treasury played its full part in delivering a low-carbon economy."
Friends of the Earth this time.
It’s a funny subject, because governments are loathe to impose punative taxation on environmentally damaging activities — well, that would mean taxing everything, really — which would seem to suggest that “green” taxes are actually a good thing for the environment. Sure, a 100% increase in fuel duty might make people think twice about buying fuel, but it would also be a guaranteed vote loser. In an age of apparent environmental awareness, why should that be?
*The simple fact is that the whole of civilization is geared towards making money.*
Who wouldn’t complain if someone tried to take it away from you — for environmental reasons or not. The environmental mainstream are terminally stuck in a mindset that says it is possible to make things better by working within the system — imposing “green” taxes, making business “greener”, buying “green” products — the very system that is nothing without economic growth.
Fools!
Back to the Independent article:
"The results of the poll by Opinium, a leading research company, indicate that maintaining popular support for green policies may be a difficult act to pull off, and attempts in the future to curb car use and publicly fund investment in renewable resources will prove deeply unpopular."
That’s not news — that’s just the way things are in this consumption culture.
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It depends on who you tax.
02.05.2008 11:10
It might be that, while many people agree with the principle of "polluter pays", they don't see why the taxpayer at the end of the chain should be bearing the brunt of the costs.
Unless these people have the ability to choose an energy source or travel method that is less polluting than their current option they cannot be expected to take all the responsibility. There is also the fact that many people (myself included) have no public transport option available and use the car because it's a necessity.
Raising fuel tax will not bring my house any closer to my work place so will not reduce my fuel consumption and so I wouldn't support "green taxes" in that context.
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