Blog Stage Eight: Comment on a colleague's work #2

In one of my classmate’s blog posts titled “We should fight for globalclimate change,”Kyuree Kwak wrote about the good editorial essay that we should be the one who fight for global climate change for the plane. I totally agree with her opinion and human activity is primarily responsible for global climate change. However, I want to add some part about the ‘paying more tax’ on her essay.

Dramatic changes in climate, such as heavier storms and less snow, are another sign that humans are causing global climate change. As human-produced greenhouse gases heat the planet, increased humidity (water vapor in the atmosphere) results. Water vapor is itself a greenhouse gas. In a process known as a positive feedback loop, more warming causes more humidity which causes even more warming. Higher humidity levels also cause changes in climate. Higher temperatures from global warming are also causing some mountainous areas to receive rain rather than snow. And another study found that global warming caused by human actions has increased extreme precipitation events by 18% across the globe, and that if temperatures continue to rise an increase of 40% can be expected. So, we are definitely responsible for the climate change.

Kyuree says, “If the government of urban countries increase taxes only to help the planet by limiting the emission of carbon, many people would gladly accept it, since it is for the benefit for everyone.” I do not agree with this part because we are already paying the carbon taxes. The fact is that American taxpayers are paying for the costs of climate change now. These costs don't hit us all at once but sporadically, in different places and at different times. They don't feel like a carbon tax, though they amount to one. Every time we use fossil fuels, we increase our tax burden, a burden that unfolds like a sequence of trap doors, just like climate change itself. Start with food: Farmers have always faced good years and bad years, but as bad years get more frequent, taxpayers pick up more and more of the tab. Crop insurance is now one of the nation's biggest and riskiest financial bulwarks against the effect of climate change on farmers, who are struggling to adapt as growing conditions shift beneath their feet. 

Rather pushing Congress to require strong action for the carbon pricing, we should bypass the pricing schemes and move to regulate emissions strictly and enact policies to phase out fossil fuels or anything that cause climate change.