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Comment by hellisothers | Hacker News Reader

That would unfortunately be a “regressive” pricing, it would disproportionately impact the poor. Just cars and energy I would expect to become unattainable unless alternative sources of sustainable transportation and energy are embraced by society in never before seen levels.

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Being poor is a separate problem that is solved by giving someone money to not be poor. Assuming one wants to solve the problem of poorer people.

It has nothing to do with accurately pricing externalities. Of course, wealth transfers are extremely politically unpopular.

In the ideal world there would be marginal sales taxes, but that seems infeasible in the near future. Although, not inconceivable if everyone’s purchases were being tracked.

Any taxation aside from super progressive tax schemes that top out at 90% and more would disproportionally impact the poor. But is our goal to destroy the rich (so poor can consume more) or is it to lower overall consumption?

That'd push to fix suburbanisation and make mass transit cool again. Or enforce remote work.

> But is our goal to destroy the rich (so poor can consume more) or is it to lower overall consumption?

Both?

No.

Who do you think is going to be hardest hit when the climate crisis hits in force?

Anyway, there are a variety of wealth redistribution schemes that can target the problem of poverty, including giving the proceeds from a carbon/whatever tax to lower income Americans.

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