The process of monitoring CO2 emissions is difficult, because of how they are created and how to properly give credit to efforts against carbon emissions. The majority of carbon emissions come from burning coal, oil and natural gases. “In principle, policymakers could require emitters to install monitoring equipment and then tax based on actual emissions. In practice, that would be prohibitively expensive except at the largest power plants. Because of the simple chemistry of combustion an atom of carbon in fuel becomes a molecule of carbon dioxide—a close substitute is to tax the carbon content of fuel.” Other greenhouse gases are also a proponent of climate change, such as methane, nitrous oxide, and hydro fluorocarbons. Most methane emissions come from gas systems, cattle and landfills, and nitrous oxide comes from agriculture. This broadens the field of what should be taxed by lawmakers and which resources are best suited to be included in the tax. “Policymakers must address the fact that greenhouse gases differ in their chemical and atmospheric properties. Methane, for example, traps more heat, gram-for-gram, than carbon dioxide does, but it has a shorter atmospheric lifetime. A cost-effective tax should reflect such differences, raising the tax rate for gases that are more potent and lowering it for gases that stay in the atmosphere for less time.” Donald
The process of monitoring CO2 emissions is difficult, because of how they are created and how to properly give credit to efforts against carbon emissions. The majority of carbon emissions come from burning coal, oil and natural gases. “In principle, policymakers could require emitters to install monitoring equipment and then tax based on actual emissions. In practice, that would be prohibitively expensive except at the largest power plants. Because of the simple chemistry of combustion an atom of carbon in fuel becomes a molecule of carbon dioxide—a close substitute is to tax the carbon content of fuel.” Other greenhouse gases are also a proponent of climate change, such as methane, nitrous oxide, and hydro fluorocarbons. Most methane emissions come from gas systems, cattle and landfills, and nitrous oxide comes from agriculture. This broadens the field of what should be taxed by lawmakers and which resources are best suited to be included in the tax. “Policymakers must address the fact that greenhouse gases differ in their chemical and atmospheric properties. Methane, for example, traps more heat, gram-for-gram, than carbon dioxide does, but it has a shorter atmospheric lifetime. A cost-effective tax should reflect such differences, raising the tax rate for gases that are more potent and lowering it for gases that stay in the atmosphere for less time.” Donald