An audit of environmental taxation has found that that the UK produces 
£11.7 billion of CO2, measured as a social cost.  Yet, the total net 
burden of green taxes was £21.9 billion.

Green taxes exceed the social cost by £10.2 billion (about £400 per 
household).

There are even grounds for thinking that the Stern report was simply a 
front by the Treasury to obtain more monies by deception.  The Stern 
report estimates CO2 in ways inconsistent with other estimates, without 
necessarily making good other estimates' weaknesses.

The cost of green tax is often subject to VAT, thus consumer face 
double-taxation (on regressive taxes) without [more green] substitutes 
readily available.  This causes a disproportionately high burden on poor 
people and creates no incentive to change for all people.

Other countries have not sabotaged their economies with unnecessary 
"green" taxation.  The British producer will face taxes that a Chinese 
producer won't.  To survive, a British producer will have to migrate to 
China, but in doing so will lose all access to resources that would help 
to reduce CO2 emissions.  Thus, UK "green" taxes will cause an increase 
in CO2 emissions worldwide.

The report is "The Case Against Further Green Taxes" (Taylor & Sinclair).

The report is 33 pages long and contains many more facts/figures than is 
possible to put into this posting, including an evaluation of the 
European Emissions Trading Scheme, with the key losers being industry in 
the north of England and, nationally, the NHS!

http://tpa.typepad.com/research/files/the_case_against_further_green_taxes.pdf

The state is ripping us off, both in cash and in opportunity cost. What 
are you going to do about it?


-- 

mjt

A supporter of http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/, fighting to stop the 
government ripping off the taxpayer.

Tax cuts v public services?  No!  Tax cuts *for* better public services.

> There are even grounds for thinking that the Stern report was simply a
> front by the Treasury to obtain more monies by deception. > -- 

If you are shocked by that, that then there's more: Bear DO shit in the 
woods, and the Pope IS a Catholic.