Bloomberg Declares Support for a National Carbon Tax

Mayor Bloomberg plansto announce today his support for a national carbon tax. In what hisaides are calling one of the most significant policy addresses of hissecond and final term, the mayor will argue that directly taxingemissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contributeto climate change will slow globalwarming, promote economic growth and stimulate technological innovation— even if it results in higher gasoline prices in the short term.

Mr.Bloomberg is scheduled to present his carbon tax proposal in a speechthis afternoon at a two-day climate protection summit in Seattleorganized by the United States Conference of Mayors. (A copy of the speech was provided to The New York Times by aides to the mayor; the full text is available here, along with the complete Times story.)

With his speech today, Mayor Bloomberg joins former Vice-President AlGore as the nation's leading advocates of a carbon tax to cap andreduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

Bloomberg's support of a U.S. carbon tax is philosophically consistentwith his big current local initiative, a congestion pricing plan toimprove mobility, economic activity and the quality of life in theManhattan Central Business District by charging an entry fee for motorvehicles. A carbon tax and congestion pricing both embody the principlethat safeguarding “the commons” -- our air, water and public space --requires that we exact from ourselves a commensurate price for usesthat damage or deplete it.