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U.S. Rep Suggests Carbon TaxAim is to Reduce Fuel Use, Emissions
U.S. Congressman John D. Dingell is seeking public comment on his proposal to tax carbon-based fuels to discourage consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Would a carbon tax encourage us to use fewer fossil fuels, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and raise the funds needed to research and develop cleaner, renewable energy sources? U.S. Congressman John D. Dingell (D, Michigan) is suggesting just such a fee in the United States, and he's interested in knowing what the public has to say about the idea. You can find details about Dingell's proposal, as well as a link to his comment page on his Website. Under Dingell's proposal, which he hasn't yet introduced in the House of Representatives, carbon-based fossil fuels would be taxed at a rate of $50 per ton. That fee would affect not only petroleum, coal and natural gas, but products made with petroleum as well. Dingell's plan also calls for a new 50-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline on top of the federal government's existing gas tax. However, biofuels would be exempt from the tax (blended fuels would be taxed only according to the amount of petroleum-based fuel in them), as would diesel fuel, which produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and provides higher gas mileage. Both the carbon and gas taxes would be phased in over a five-year period, with adjustments as needed for inflation. Dingell's proposal also aims to discourage the construction of ever-larger, more fuel-hungry homes by phasing out the mortgage interest deduction for houses over a certain square footage. Homeowners with houses between 3,000 and 4,199 square feet would be entitled to mortgage interest deductions that grow increasingly smaller as the house's square footage grows larger. Homes with 4,200 square feet or more space would not receive any mortgage interest deduction. The existing mortgage interest deduction would still apply to homes built before 1900, farmhouses, green-certified (LEED-certified) homes or homes whose owners buy carbon offsets to achieve carbon-neutral status. Dingell said the proposed carbon tax would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere by 10.8 billion tons by 2030. He added that move would help put the U.S. on track to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent by 2050, a reduction level that many scientists agree is needed to prevent the worst effects of global warming. Dingell is recommending that some of the revenues generated by the new taxes be used to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, so lower-income families could offset the higher expenses they would face from higher fuel prices. Other funds raised would go toward research and development into renewable energy, conservation programs, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Proram, a universal healthcare program, the State Children's Health Insurance Program and the Medicare and Social Security programs.
The copyright of the article U.S. Rep Suggests Carbon Tax in Green/Simple Living is owned by Shirley Siluk Gregory. Permission to republish U.S. Rep Suggests Carbon Tax in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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