Carbon Tax Truth-Telling

Dingell's Gas Tax Isn't Meant To Pass, But It Should Prompt Debate Rep. John Dingell (D-Detroit) doesn't want his latest bill to pass. He wants to prove a point. America isn't ready for new gas taxes, or a carbon tax that drives up the cost of energy, he says. That may well be true, though some -- including a recent New York Times editorial -- have argued that a carbon tax is among the fairest ways to fund a shift to a new low-carbon economy run on alternative fuels and new clean-burning technologies. Rep. Dingell, a longtime advocate for Detroit automakers and workers, is not a fan of many global warming reduction measures. Let's hope that his bill prompts the debate he envisions -- about the severity of the climate's problems relative to our willingness to sacrifice. And, let's hope Rep. Dingell is surprised by the level of commitment Americans have to climate change action, if not their willingness to accept a new energy tax.