ABSTRACT
Many serious threats to humanity’s future — from climate change and ozone depletion to air pollution and toxic contamination — arise largely from the economy’s failure to value and account for environmental damage. In a minor form, environmental or so-called green taxes already exist in many countries. A comprehensive green tax code would alter economic activity in many areas. It would place fees on carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, and thereby slow global warming. It would penalize the use of virgin materials, and thus encourage recycling and reuse. An analysis of eight possible green taxes for the USA suggests that they can raise substantial revenues while working to protect the environment. Determining tax levels that reduce harm to human health and the environment without damaging the economy is complicated; the ones shown here are simply for illustration.
