Cut Emissions and Taxes

Congratulations to the House and Senate for passing the cap-and-trade energy bill that is meant to try and slow the amount of emissions that companies release in an attempt to save the environment. I applaud them for their effort, but I have to ask a question: why can’t we save the environment without having a negative effect on our free market economy? I propose a different plan. It’s a plan that doesn’t cost a company money, but could make a company money.

The cap-and-trade energy bill is a plan in which the government will sell or auction permits to release emissions into the atmosphere. It works on theory, but who is going to pay for that extra amount of money it costs to buy the permit that will, likely, not cost $10,000 like other licenses? The consumer. So, in theory, while President Obama said that there wouldn’t be a tax increase on the middle class, in actuality, the consumer will have to pay more money for goods, such as electricity.

So, what do we do?

Instead of the government giving permission to release emissions, have the government give a tax cut to companies that make the initiative to go green. The revolution is going on. People want a more “green” country. However, people don’t want to pay more in bills when the economy is already kicking them in the butt. To really promote the going green and trying to make the environment more healthy, companies can’t be charged more money because the consumer will then suffer and We the People are already tired enough of paying huge bills.

I’ve had the privilege of talking to numerous different business people, but one in particular stuck in mind. He moved to Singapore because it was just easier. He could own his company and not pay a ridiculous amount of money in corporate taxes. A lot of companies are doing this because they can still technically feed off of the American consumer, but not pay the ridiculous taxes to the American government. So, what we have here is a case of screwing the American people and screwing the American people.

By cutting a company’s taxes when they reduce their emissions, it’ll give a company motivation to invest in new technologies. They don’t want to pay taxes and if they can find a new way, a healthier way, to produce their product, it’ll obviously give motivation to do so. By reducing the taxes for these companies, the consumer won’t have to suffer. Sure, the government will suffer, but they get so much money anyways, maybe it’d force them to tie a leash around their spending.

I’m a firm proponent in cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The environment is hurting because of it and I don’t believe that everything that is going on is just another “cycle.” It is a cycle, but one that humanity has helped along and made more severe. However, while I am a firm proponent in cutting carbon dioxide emissions, there needs to be a way to do it without charging the American companies and the American consumers. By lowering taxes for the companies if they take an effort in cutting their emissions, they’ll more likely invest in newer technologies. By investing in new technologies, it might create an even greater cut in carbon emissions.

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