In 2001, for example, he signed bills that raised the sales tax on fireworks and even signed an air pollution tax on the purchase or rental of diesel equipment.

FORBES: Rick Perry's Changing Take On Raising Taxes

It is better to tax pollution than work or saving.

ECONOMIST: Carbon policy in Australia and Britain

We should tax pollution.

BBC: News | UK Politics | Charles Kennedy's speech in full

Re-examine and streamline EPA regulations as we tax energy pollution, crafting a more logical approach to a cleaner environment that combines measurable outcomes with the transparent and accountable price signal from a carbon tax.

FORBES: A Conservative, Small-Government Strategy For Fighting Climate Change

To solve these problems, it helps to have two instruments to hand: a carbon tax to discourage pollution directly, and subsidies or other incentives to encourage innovation around the cleaner input.

ECONOMIST: Economics focus

The research team used data from a number of sources including air pollution reports, traffic counts and tax offices.

BBC: US researchers map carbon emissions at street level

Costs not captured include electrical grid upgrade, connectivity of renewables and buffering of their intermittency by rapid cycling of fossil fuel plants as presently practiced in this country, and non-carbon-tax externalities such as pollution and health care costs associated with energy sources, especially for coal.

FORBES: The Naked Cost of Energy -- Stripping Away Financing and Subsidies

Without a tax, it is as if we subsidize pollution relative to its price in a complete market.

WSJ: Should There Be a Price on Carbon?

It would also restore a tax break for commuters, a foolish subsidy to pollution and traffic jams.

ECONOMIST: Germany's tax debate

So it is trying to create another niche, in pollution-saving electric or hybrid cars, through government support and tax incentives.

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