No matter how you dress it up, a tax on energy is a tax on life.
National Interest (7/17/25) op-ed: "Climate change is widely recognized as a significant global challenge. The prevailing narrative posits that market activity, through the production of negative externalities such as pollution and environmental degradation, is a primary driver of ecological harm. Consequently, many advocate for government intervention—most notably in the form of carbon taxes—as a necessary tool to mitigate climate risks. However, such policy responses often rest on oversimplified assumptions regarding both the nature of the problem and the efficacy of proposed solutions. Implicit in this framing is the assumption that governments not only possess the capability but also the political will to effectively correct market failures related to carbon emissions. This assumption merits critical scrutiny...From an economic perspective, carbon taxes can impose substantial and often underestimated costs. Administrative expenses for enforcement and compliance can run into the billions of dollars. Contrary to claims that carbon taxes would streamline existing regulations, historical precedent suggests they are typically layered atop existing environmental rules, compounding bureaucratic complexity and nullifying most efficiency claims. These taxes also function as barriers to entry, disproportionately affecting small firms and reducing market dynamism Additionally, because of their regressive nature, carbon taxes tend to burden low-income households more heavily—ironically, the same populations climate advocates often identify as the most vulnerable to environmental harm."
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