num_pages: 248
description: There's a simple straightforward way to cut carbon emissions and prevent the most disastrous effects of climate change-and we're rejecting it because of irrational political fears. That's the central argument of The Case for a Carbon Tax  a clear-eyed sophisticated analysis of climate change policy. Shi-Ling Hsu examines the four major approaches to curbing cap-and-trade; command and control regulation; government subsidies of alternative energy; and carbon taxes. Weighing the economic social administrative and political merits of each he demonstrates why a tax is currently the most effective policy. Hsu does not claim that a tax is the perfect or only solution-but that unlike the alternatives it can be implemented immediately and paired effectively with other approaches. In fact the only real barrier is psychological. While politicians can present subsidies and cap-and-trade as win-win solutions the costs of a tax are immediately apparent. Hsu deftly explores the social and political factors that prevent us from embracing this commonsense approach. And he shows why we must get past our hang-ups if we are to avert a global crisis.
language: English
title: The Case for a Carbon Tax: Getting Past Our Hang-ups to Effective Climate Policy
publisher: Island Press