GA Will Host Presentation on Carbon Tax

March 3rd, 2012 · · Passed Resolutions 2 comments

The General Assembly of Occupy Boston passed the following proposal on March 3, 2012:

We propose that a maximum of 1/2 hour total, with 15 minutes minimum of that total devoted to discussion, of the March 15 Thursday GA be put toward a presentation on using Fee and Dividend as a means of taxing carbon and reducing overall emissions, while placing the burden of the tax upon corporations. This is proposed with the hope that it will help raise awareness of this method for carbon tax, at a time when understanding options for reducing atmospheric carbon concentrations is crucial.

The working groups sponsoring this proposal (Climate Action, Sustainability, and Environmental Justice as well as Free School University) will make information available on the web prior to this GA so people can review them if they want to.

Explanation:

The presentation will be done by Gary Rucinski. Gary is a member of Climate Citizen’s Lobby, an organization working to promote fee and dividend carbon tax. This presentation will be done in preparation of a second, longer, presentation and QA that is being organized by CASEJ and FSU. The longer presentation will focus on both the potential benefits of this tax, as well as the ways in which it could be potentially weakened. There is additionally a discussion panel being planned, that will focus on multiple, progressive, options for taxing carbon.

Fee and Dividend:

Carbon Fee-and-Dividend is a system that places a tax on carbon as it eners the US economy – at the mine, the well, or the port of entry. This money can then be redistributed to the general population, offsetting the increase in energy costs.