碳定价的辩论在华盛顿州公开上市

As governments worldwide beginimposing fees on pollutionto try to protect the climate, a debate over dueling approaches — one that long has been restricted to conferences and academia — is becoming prominent in Washington state.

华盛顿的选民将在十一月决定是否引进来自煤炭和天然气的化石燃料和电的碳税，以减缓全球变暖的同时减少对销售税和制造，并保持总的税收收入总体持平的目标。

IfInitiative 732 (PDF)passes, the Evergreen State would buck a national trend in which other states have been adopting a different system for carbon pricing — that of cap-and-trade, in which pollution levels are capped and allowances to release pollution are sold and traded.

"Some folks on our executive committee and in our grassroots base have a strong preference for a carbon tax," said约拉姆·鲍曼, an economist and comic involved with Carbon Washington, a group that drafted the initiative and gathered signatures.

Carbon pricing is popular among economists and climate experts because it can account for some of the hidden costs of climate change by taxing fossil fuels, which raises prices and reduces demand. That helps solar, wind and other climate-protecting alternatives compete on price.

碳税和总量控制与交易制度之间的差异是由它们之间的相似性相形见绌。

Worldwide, carbon pricing is beingadopted rapidly作为国家和国家合作，以减缓全球变暖。中国计划推出a nationwide program next year, joining the European Union, Kazakhstan, California and other governments in putting a price on carbon.

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund werecampaigning in supportof carbon pricing ahead of the signing last week of the United Nations’ climate treaty,finalized in Parisin December.

Some experts prefer a carbon tax over cap-and-trade, arguing that it’s more efficient and less complicated. Others prefer cap-and-trade, arguing that the approach provides governments with greater control over the amount of pollution that’s released each year.

鲍曼说，碳税是“简单和透明，”他指出，邻近的不列颠哥伦比亚省already has a carbon taxin place. "The choice of a carbon tax for I-732 came from some issues that are pretty specific to Washington state."

(Carbon pricing programs worldwide in 2015. Credit:World Resources Institute“给碳定价:美国的手册Policymakers.")

这场辩论已经蔓延到了民主党初选，伯尼桑德斯推动征收碳税。在2007年，希拉里·克林顿说，she opposed a carbon tax — but only because she favored cap-and-trade.

The ballot initiative is the latest effort to establish a system in Washington that prices carbon pollution. Cap-and-tradelegislation by Gov. Jay Inslee去年拒绝了国会议员，和他的政府是trying to cap carbon pollutionusing regulatory powers.

"The differences between carbon taxes and cap-and-trade programs are dwarfed by the similarities between them," saidNoah Kaufman在非营利世界资源研究所气候经济学家。“很多的，你听到谈论的差异并不是真正的政策之间的根本分歧，但随着收入怎么办。”

The Washington ballot measure was crafted to be revenue neutral for the state, helping to curb pollution while reducing other taxes. A government analysis indicated those cuts substantially could减少国家财政收入overall, although backers of the proposaldisagree with thefinding. Major winners would be low-income families, which would receive $1,500 tax rebates.

Carbon Washington is facing opposition to its ballot initiatives from corporations that use and produce energy.

“我们不认为碳价格是必要的，”说Brandon Houskeeper, who oversees government affairs at the Association of Washington Businesses. "We think it’s the wrong approach."

The planned revenue neutrality of the measure also has sparked opposition from groups that are fighting for a system that sets aside funds for environmental initiatives.

California, European nations and some other governmentsearmark large chunks of revenuesfrom cap-and-trade programs to be spent on efforts to promote clean energy and reduce pollution impacts in poor communities.

Washington’s carbon tax ballot initiative "doesn’t have a huge united coalition behind it," saidKristin Eberhard, a researcher who tracks carbon pricing for the Sightline Institute, a think tank based in Seattle.

气候解决方案，在西北太平洋地区一个非营利性的，表示它不能support but won't opposeI-732，宁愿继续推动通过一项替代碳定价计划 - 一个将在华盛顿的环保措施提供资金。

"We need a more comprehensive solution," saidVlad Gutman, director of Climate Solutions’ Washington office. "We need to drive investments to clean energy."