"Could Washington Pave The Way For Carbon Taxes?"

"Washington residents will have the chance to vote on a carbon tax at the polls this November. The proposed tax, which is the first of its kind in the nation, could set a precedent for how other states handle greenhouse gas emissions."

"Washington state is seeking to curb carbon emissions by posing a ballot initiative to voters that will allow them to decide whether or not polluters should pay for the greenhouse gases they produce. If passed, the tax would become the first of its kind in the nation.

The question, which will appear on the state’s November ballot, asks residents if the state should levy the first direct carbon tax, which would apply to the burning of fossil fuels like coal and gasoline. As officials seek ways to cut back on pollutants and delve into the world of clean, independent energy, some have floated the idea of a carbon tax as a way to curb pollutants.

'The great challenge for the next administration using the bully pulpit will be to end this fiction, act upon the science and design a carbon pricing scheme that will provide the certainty and efficiency that energy investors desire,'Clay Sell, who served as a top energy official in the George W. Bush administration, told a forum held by the U.S. Energy Association last week. 'I hope both [political] parties will take that up, as it will allow the benefits of all clean energy technologies to be properly valued in the marketplace.'"

Amanda Hoover reports for the Christian Science Monitor October 9, 2016.