Carbon tax to be imposed?


Though I do welcome any means that can curb carbon emissions in Singapore, I'm thinking what will the difference of carbon tax be from all the other taxes already implemented in Singapore? Ultimately what the government is going to do with the money collected through carbon taxes is what I am really interested in.
Carbon emission is not the only, though a major component, of global warming, but we need to also understand that it is fundamentally the combined activities of the entire human population that led to the global warming phenomenon.
Is the government going to use the money to fund environmentally friendly energy research programs or use it for future developments such as build more roads and buildings, which eventually leads to the cutting down of more trees?
The COE already demonstrated clearly that even with high taxes it is not going to stop people from buying cars.
 

There's lots of talk online bout some nuclear power thingy...maybe its for that? But aren't they getting quite bit of income from the IRs? (read in papers)
 

The COE already demonstrated clearly that even with high taxes it is not going to stop people from buying cars.

the idea of a carbon tax is linked with the idea of externalities, and the economic reasoning that a positive and negative externality should be included in the price, i.e. the social marginal cost is higher/lower than that of the production cost.

to understand it more clearly, you can think of cigarettes as a negative example, and education as a positive example. when person A consumes cigarettes, person B, person C, person D around him are experiencing passive smoking. short of segregating smokers in their own little fishbowl space helmets, the additional negative impact that cigarettes bring to society should be included in their price. the idea is not dissuasion per se (of course, there is that additional impact), but to ensure that only people who are willing to pay the higher social marginal cost will buy cigarettes.

similarly, when people do things that produce carbon (whether it is driving a car, using electricity), this contributes negatively to society, on top of the raw materials that go into ensuring that such things can be done. the carbon tax merely tries to attach the externality and "price" it, such that optimal consumption is attained.

i'm not very clear on what the intention of the government was when they introduced the COE, but i'm quite sure that it has nothing to do with externalities, but rather an attempt to introduce a hurdle to curb demand. so the two (carbon taxes and COE) really shouldn't be lumped together, since based on my understanding, the basis of each is different.
 

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There's lots of talk online bout some nuclear power thingy...maybe its for that? But aren't they getting quite bit of income from the IRs? (read in papers)

you might want to read the stern review: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stern_Review

to gain a better insight as to why there is a need to introduce a carbon tax. of course, also feel free to read more about the critique on the stern review.
 

I think governments all over know that the world oil supply is depleting and an alternative energy source has yet to be found or invented, hence the nuclear power consideration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulxe1ie-vEY
 

Part of it is also due to neighboring countries like Indonesia having plans to build nuke reactors in the coming decades.
 

All a load of BS to me. Just adding money someone's coffers (not mine or the public though)

Just have better rules and regulations for usage of electricity (eg. Air-con and heating element usage; heat retention and dissipation in buildings, lighting, etc), disposable materials (eg. styrofoam, toxic liquids, plastic bags, etc), motor vehicles.