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Comment by adrianN | Hacker News Reader

It's time we set a reasonable carbon price and levy import tariffs from countries that don't do the same.

This is a colonialist policy. Unless the wealthy countries decide to share their clean/green technologies for almost free, that is. Their current wealth (which allows them to be green) was built on dirty energy, just look at Norway.

Just look at the story of UK's moth evolving to dark color due to pollution, and back: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppered_moth_evolution

The import tariffs could be used to fund developing clean energy infrastructure in said countries, so no it isn't necessarily a colonialist policy. I could see the EU doing something like that, not so much the US though.

I don't think "colonialist" is the right word to use here and it carries unnecessary connotations. All developing (or developed...) countries need to do to not be subject to import tariffs is joining the carbon price club.

Of course I support giving away green technology, because I think reducing carbon emissions has much higher priority than making profits.

I don’t think it’s colonialist? Hot take, but countries like India and China can take care of themselves. The US and Europe should penalize corporations here too who pollute.

> This is a colonialist policy

nations can’t even do some kind of sanction to promote clean tech without some social justice moralisms? It’s so tiresome.

The plane is going down. First class goes down with coach.

erm...how many colonies did Norway have?

Those countries can introduce a carbon tax and then decide for themselves whether fossil fuels are worth it.

Do it, based on a 100-year average (or even 50) CO2-per-capita. The world will agree.

Shouldn't it be accompanied by aid to cover the cost of more expensive energy sources? Otherwise this is just wealthy countries asking poor countries to take a hit to their development uncompensated, which is going to have a body count as well.

Sure, aid them as much as possible, but I don't really see how for example a carbon tax + carbon dividend scheme is terribly bad for a developing economy.

If they don’t want to do it themselves then some of our billionaires will be happy to invest and own huge portions of the upside.

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