...I've been kinda focused on other things (such as looking at houses, mortgage applications, trying to sell our flat etc. etc. etc.)
Normal service may be resumed at some point... but maybe not for a while. (If we get the house we have put an offer in on, I may spend a fair bit of my spare time re-decorating instead ;-) )
Friday 16 February 2007
Monday 5 February 2007
Environmental Taxes
Spegasaur has been having an interesting discussion about environmental taxes; basically "Should an environmental tax discourage behaviour, or should it pay for behaviour?"
As far as I see it, as long as an environmental tax does one of the 2, it is doing its job - the problem is when it does neither. Ideally it should do both - that is, it should discourage certain unenvironmental behaviour by some people, and the revenues from those that continue to indulge should be ring-fenced into things that cancel the behaviour. What should not happen is that a 'nominal' environmental tax is chucked on something, not in proportion to the environmental damage, and the revenues simply added to the Chancellors coffers.
As far as I see it, as long as an environmental tax does one of the 2, it is doing its job - the problem is when it does neither. Ideally it should do both - that is, it should discourage certain unenvironmental behaviour by some people, and the revenues from those that continue to indulge should be ring-fenced into things that cancel the behaviour. What should not happen is that a 'nominal' environmental tax is chucked on something, not in proportion to the environmental damage, and the revenues simply added to the Chancellors coffers.
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