Environment.

Incomes may be affected more by whether a carbon dividend or Basic Income is means-tested, than by whether it is carbon or income that is taxed, and whether the income tax is flat or progressive. https://ammpol.wordpress.com/carbontax , November 2020.

In a new book, fuel taxes to reflect environmental costs are estimated for 156 countries. The revenue could be used to reduce other taxes, or to pay down public debt. This would be better than relying on a patchwork of uncoordinated policies, or waiting for global agreement on climate policies. “IMF fuel tax toolkit”, in Green taxing and spending, July 2014.

With taxes on imports from non-carbon-pricing countries, a coalition of two or three powerful nations could create a strong incentive for a global carbon pricing scheme. Green taxing and spending, July 2015.

Environmentalists disagree about what combination of renewable energy, energy efficiency, fourth generation nuclear power, and carbon capture and storage should be used. They should unite in a campaign for green taxes on resources and pollution. “Energy price reform” in Green taxing and spending, November 2013.

A Green tax switch from income taxes to green taxes is being prevented by the widespread belief that progressive income taxes are essential for wealth redistribution. Citizens incomes could make green taxes progressive. “Progressive tax and inequality”, in Citizens Incomes and progressive tax, 2006-2008.

Probably we will get both warming and cooling, first one and then the other. What is least likely is that the man-made effect will be exactly the right amount to balance the ice age cycle, and keep the climate stable. Climate change, September 2015.

European election.

For me, in all the thousands of words I saw about the European election campaign, one sentence stood out. It was in the Manchester Friends of the Earth’s list of 10 policies:

” a new EU economic strategy . . . which shifts the tax burden from labour to resource consumption . . . ”
( http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/eu-election-survey-response-peter-cranie-green-party/ ).

Environmental taxes on resources and pollution could be better than income taxes, not only for the environment, but also for reducing inequality.

( ” Progressive tax and inequality”, in “Citizens incomes and progressive tax”,
https://ammpol.wordpress.com/ubiprog ).

I think this policy should be a major feature in the 2015 Westminster election campaign.