onkl’s Recent Comments

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  payroll taxes

  That's a very clever solution indeed. Economic theory states that an efficient taxation environment means the same tax level on every economic resource. Else, economic disruption occurs (major or minor). Therefore, fossil fuels -and all other natural resources- could be taxed on the same level as payroll. When we would not step into the wide open pit of suggesting that the revenue's of theis tax should be used to promote environmental means -the discussion which fraction of the public expenditure should be allocated to that end is a fully different one, after all-, it can be used to lower payroll taxes, which does increase employement.

  Now, think about lobbying that plan: Sorry Sir, I've got a plan to lower direct tax pressure, increase employment and improve the environment. One might actually raise more fans than just the Green, maybe even a majority.

  On the answerring of the question how raising such a tax is best done, I agree with caniscandida on the goals, I do not agree on the means. If you just increase end-user prices (VAT-style), the following will happen:
  People with bigger cars pay more tax
  People without an alternative mode of home-work transport are punished for their impractical housing decision and have an inventive to move.
  People who carpool pay half or less
  People who drive hybrid cars pay less (unless it's a Lexus)
  And the cost of raising the tax is minimal.On Color me unimpressed posted 2 years, 5 months ago 2 Responses

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  Certainty of strategy

  You'r quite correct, Bush has some reason to celebrate. However, the goal of the process is not "Making Bush unhappy", that should be considered to be collateral damage. The importance of these statements is a growth in confidence about the future US policy, the growing certainty that the US will indeed collaborate (even if only halfhearted). This might help and influence policymakers creating new rules and business facing new investment right now allready. Or, by example, the knowledge that the US is on a train with only a very remote chance of jumping off, means that wind energy project currently undertaken see an increase in expected future revenue.

  This aside, I do agree: it certainly could have ben better.On The U.S. outmaneuvered European leaders, yet again posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

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  A note from the "old" side of the pond

  One of Merkels chief climate advisers had the following interpretation, according to the Int. Herald Tribune.
  "The United States is now on a bandwagon they cannot stop," said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, a German expert on climate change who is Merkel's chief adviser on climate policy. "That is more than I expected. In a way, climate common sense prevailed at the last minute."On The U.S. outmaneuvered European leaders, yet again posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

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  Reactionaries and Trotskists?

  Quite interesting, the extreme conservative fraction in the US' political spectrum seems so willing to collaborate so easily with former Trotskists. They surely do share some opinions on externally forced revolutions though.On Conservatives like Bush's climate plan because greens don't posted 2 years, 5 months ago 5 Responses

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  O molecules and atoms

  Well, I don't think the oxygen atoms which are part of the CO2 sent "up" will be missed. As for the O2 molecules: I'd guess the proffesor has some trick in his sleeve to distinguish which molecules will and will not be ionized, else this plan would basically render an innovative way to send air in general to space, which is presumably not very useful, apart from easying the task of the special effects manager aranging the "romantic kissing scene" to end the next SF in space flick.
  I'd guess easier ways to do that exist though.On A new solution from a plasma physicist posted 2 years, 5 months ago 15 Responses