“Tax policies that encourage conservation and punish waste just make sense.”
For decades, the human race and American people have battled and fought about the true role of government; and the extent to its involvement. And now we face the question- should the government join the fight to go green? While natural resources dwindle, temperatures rise, and only small changes occur, many look to the government to focus and regulate the environmental issue. Many Americans don’t want their hand forced in issues of environment and refuse the so called “green thumb”. But as a race, we’ve also hurt our planet, biting the hand that feeds us, and it’s time for the government to step in.
Many Americans agree, going green is the way to a stable and secure future. According to Sevastian Winters, author of an article about the United States going green, “… the one thing that everyone can agree on is that natural resources do not exist in limitless supplies.” This is true, but we can conserve and even create new sources of energy by going green. However, the question in dispute is- how can the government help us go green?
A poll of environmental awareness in 2007 showed U.S. residents as having some of the highest levels of voluntary environmental stewardship; with up to 70% using less water in their household and over 80% voluntarily recycling newspapers, glass, aluminum, motor oil, or other items. But it’s still not enough. A report from the United States Department of Energy claimed that electricity generated in a single house could be responsible for releasing “more Carbon Dioxide into the air than two average cars.” And while the report also included a list of small changes we can make to reduce energy, we need big changes. The kind that cancels out two average cars. There is progress to be made in government involvement, but the problem most people find- it involves a different kind of green.
Money is the problem. According to Robert J. Samuelson, author of “Selling the Green Economy”, environmentalists have a habit of maximizing the dangers and minimizing the costs. But the fact of the matter is – there is a price to pay, and that makes some wonder if the cause is worthy. Previously mentioned author Sevastian Winters points out that, “companies are the ones who must shoulder the financial burden of unsure investments”, and also admits that the conservation process comes with “some hefty price tags”. So it really comes down to what our economic priorities will be. Fossil fuels are scare, expensive, and harmful; and there’s a better, greener way to go. Unfortunately, it seems as if humans are concerned less with the environment and more with the money destroying it. Until we make the change, we’re only in denial, turning a blind eye to the crisis at hand.
A perfect example of county’s priorities can be seen if we take a look across the globe. Singapore may very well be the most forward thinking country in the world where the environment is concerned. Between prioritizing human and animal interaction in cities and adopting taxes as an energy-conserving measure in the last couple decades, they’re a welcoming sign of a green future. Alan M. Webber, the author on an article about Singapore’s environmental reforms explains how in Singapore, “car buyers pay an annual tax that specifically punishes high-powered, gas-guzzling engines.” And Webber supports this forward-thinking tax initiative sharing, “Tax policies that encourage conservation and punish waste just make sense.” But perhaps the strongest evidence to show the power of the green movement in Singapore are the pictures.
This architectural greenery, known as the ‘Gardens By the Bay’ contains more than one million plants and is designed in part to show what can be a peaceful relationship between nature and humans. Part of the mission with these breathtaking structures is to “be a model for sustainable development and conservation.”
An environmental tax is just one way the government can get involved in the environmental fight, and this can be the way to go for the United States as well. We can start making our way towards a greener, and cleaner future. And it’s true, many Americans will fight the idea of an environmental tax until their last dying breath. But it is no longer a question of ‘Can it be done’, but rather it’s a question of ‘Will it be done?’
As a nation we focus our priorities on what we believe in. Canadians have much higher taxes, but free education. And the citizens of Singapore carry an environmental tax, but with the astonishing effects of a modern and greener society. We are, and should be held accountable for the impact we’ve made on our planet. And if that means the government helps us go green, so be it. It’s better than going extinct.
