I don%26#039;t know if the 3% gas tax to be imposed by Los Angeles to replace state transit funding will have any effect other than to slightly impoverish drivers there, but it%26#039;s hard to argue with Denmark%26#039;s record of success using incentives. I agree that cap and trade is generally a better approach.

Other Answers (6)

• It depends on how you define %26quot;work%26quot;, but I%26#039;m very, very skeptical of these. I found out recently that the EPA issues %26quot;exemptions%26quot; to companies who pollute egregiously. They pay a fine, the EPA gets money, and they go right on polluting. They have a list of these exemptions on their website. I have #5 on that list a few miles from my home. The pollution goes into the Little Blue River, which empties into the Missouri, which empties into the Mississippi. St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans and others are treated to very toxic substances in their drinking water. Carbon Credits sound like another version of the same concept. The atmosphere is going to be wholly indifferent to them. They sound like one more government license to pollute. I know Europe is doing a good job (they need to), but I%26#039;m unconvinced its due to carbon credits.
• :-( --------carbon taxes
  :-)---------no carbon taxes
  
  
  no
• A carbon tax would work well on a worldwide basis.
  
  Taxing carbon worldwide would avoid leakages meaning that industries would have no interest to go to a %26quot;carbon haven%26quot;.
  
  This problem of leakages is common to most taxes and this is why rich people tend to go to the Carribean Islands.
  But keep in mind that not all sectors are exposed: it is for example not possible to easily import electricity from China. In turn it might be able to apply this tax to the electricity sector and redistribute its revenue to electricity users to avoid an increase of price. This model already worked well in Sweden for NOx emissions for example.
  
  PS: Oil prices worked... for the first time in 2006-2007, Americans drove less. But let´s be honest, the objective is not to limit the mobility of citizens, it´s to emitt less CO2. With 50% more efficient car, even with a doubled price for oil, it doesn´t cost more to drive, but CO2 emissions are being halved.
• taxes don%26#039;t work period, it is just a way for the government to obtain money. if taxes worked like the people who propose them say they will , them we wouldn%26#039;t have poverty, and starvation, and unemployment, and we would have better educated children and a higher standard of living for retired people, and on, and on. that%26#039;s just here in the USA.
• I agree with darrell, taxes never work!
  I see Dana is still spouting off about things he or she has no knowledge about whatsoever.
  
  In the UK we are now paying over $8 US per US gallon.
  All this has managed to do so far is help to fuel inflation and making it nearly impossible to live anymore.
  People can not grasp the simple concept that if you raise the price of fuel that there is a knock on effect for everyone.
  As fuel prices increase, the cost of transportation of goods will increase, electricity prices increase, etc...
  Every single item that you buy is going to be more expensive simply because those extra costs are passed on to the consumer!
  People are actually dying in this country in winter simply because they can not afford to heat their homes!
  I%26#039;m still young enough that I can at least keep my coat on all day and keep the temperature below 60F. It isn%26#039;t the way I would prefer to live but I have no other choice!
  So if what you call %26#039;Carbon Taxes%26#039; are working or not I guess that would really depend on what you consider as %26#039;working%26#039;!
  If it means making a cleaner environment or stopping a natural cycle that many people like to refer to as %26#039;Global Warming%26#039; the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT!
  If it means that it is a way to burden people with one more useless tax, then the answer is unfortunately YES!
  
  People like Dana, who through arrogance and stupidity, will continue to lead the western civilization to the grave given half a chance. (And sadly won%26#039;t realize it until it is too late and has started to affect them.) They won%26#039;t even realize that they were responsible for their own downfall!
  
  I say get off this worthless subject about %26#039;Global Warming%26#039;, or at least learn some basic science.
  Enjoy the current warming trend that we have while it lasts because it would only take another major volcanic explosion like Krakatoa to screw it up for all of us, almost overnight(geologically speaking that is).
• Taxes NEVER work, ever, never, ever,ever. Got that ? never.