A proposed Greenhouse Gases FeeBate policy

[Sam Carana]

The best way to deal with global warming is a FeeBate policy. This
works fast and effectively, is ideology- and budget-neutral and has
the least risk of feeding a wasteful bureaucracy.

In essence, a Greenhouse Gases FeeBate policy will impose a fee on
products that cause emissions of greenhouse gases, while the proceeds
of these fees will in each case be used to help better alternatives,
in the form of rebates.

In many respects, markets are best suited to work out which products
and technologies should get support through rebates - the main
criteria should be that they are replacements for the item that
attracted the fee, that they are safe and that they cause little or no
emissions of greenhouse gases, or - even better - that they are
greenhouse gas negative.

The FeeBate policy should be adopted globally, but executed locally;
levels of fees and rebates can be adjusted on an annual basis,
depending on how successfully the shift takes place. Fees can be
collected on items that are sold locally, or - if necessary - fees can
be imposed on imported items.

The FeeBate policy that I propose includes:

* a fee of 10% on sales of new cars with internal combustion
engines, with proceeds used to fund rebates for electric cars
* a fee of 10% on sales of gasoline, with proceeds used to fund
rebates on purchases and installation of facilities that produce
renewable energy
* a fee of 10% on sales of coal, with rebates given when
electricity suppliers install facilities that produce electricity from
renewable sources
* a fee of 10% on building and construction work using concrete
that contributes to global warming, with proceeds used to fund rebates
on buildings that used clean concrete
* a fee of 10% on sales of fertilizers, with rebates on sales of
agrichar, which is produced by means of pyrolysis from various forms
of biowaste
* a fee of 10% on sales of meat, with rebates and vouchers for
alternative food (my personal favorite: vegan-organic food served in
restaurants in communities without roads)

For more details on the proposed Greenhouse Gases FeeBate policy, go
to:
http://feebate.net

Cheers!
Sam Carana