In response to “France’s protesters are part of a global backlash against climate-change taxes”
The reason that taxes are controversial is because apprehensive citizens don’t think the tax
benefits them. In the case of climate-change taxes, it is important for everyone to understand
that environmental changes will inevitably affect us. They already have, in forms of deathly
wildfires in California and viral videos of sea turtles choking on plastic straws. Pollution, carbon
emissions, and other ecological challenges that play into these tragedies will only continue to
worsen.
It will take time for climate-change taxes to become less politically dangerous because
government decisions that affect larger society always take time to adjust to. Therefore,
government actors must put in the effort, not only to impose taxes but to assure citizens that it is
for the greater good. The tax-and-dividend approach in which “revenue would be used to pay
dividends to households” seems like a great way of showing citizens how the tax will benefit
them.
The next step that government and institutions of power should take is to inform the population
that climate change is real, and a direr situation than ever. Until leaders of countries
acknowledge climate change and the scientific evidence behind it, citizens will continue to
overlook this issue. Furthermore, when Trump says that “American taxpayers — and American
workers — shouldn’t pay to clean up others countries’ pollution,” he is disseminating false
accusations towards those that work to benefit the earth. His statement is objectively incorrect
because leading countries-- including the USA--- contribute largely to global climate change and
cause vast environmental damage to developing countries.
We all live under the same sun and moon and stars. It is unfair and untrue to say that
climate-change taxes are simply cleaning up someone else’s mess. It’s everyone’s mess. Small
or large, we all play a part in causing environmental change. It is our duty as citizens of the
world to do what we can to solve climate change and prevent the disastrous consequences.

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