Yet another encroachment on our freedoms

[kandrathe]

What's the issue?

You've heard of the carrot and the stick? Implementing it by artificially inflating the price of energy that emits CO2 is a "stick". Rather than, promote the alternative energies first being the "carrot". I associate the "stick" approach with tyranny, while the "carrot" approach seems more like incentives. We are all out of carrots, I'm afraid.

Why wouldn't it be better to have the government leading by prompting a surplus of *clean* cheap energy? You know, employ a bunch of out of work people by helping to plan and build the infrastructure. Why (in the midst of a recession/depression) would you think that punishing energy consumption would be the right way to start reducing CO2 emissions? This can only lead to even higher inflation, higher than I already whined about in the other thread. Cap in trade is economic suicide if it is implemented now.