Carbon Tax Among many of the highly speculated taxes a country has to choose from, the carbon tax is gaining some approval. According to the Carbon Tax Center; Australia, parts of Canada, Ireland and other nations have already imposed a carbon tax. Tax rates range from five to thirty dollars per ton of carbon dioxide released into the air by companies. But this information may leave you with questions. For example: if this tax were implemented where you live, what effects would it have on you, or you might think, what is carbon. Or perhaps you're wondering what effect this might have on the carbon emissions already released in your area? First of all, let's find out where carbon dioxide comes from and what it is made of. Carbon dioxide comes from the use of fossil fuels. We use fossil fuels every day to run vehicles, buildings, and even some power tools. What do all of these have in common, besides burning fossil fuels? Some form of combustion engine. As the fossil fuel passes through a combustion engine, the carbon atoms bind to oxygen (one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms) already present in the air and produce carbon dioxide known as CO2 (Greenhouse Gas Overview) . So the question remains: what is carbon dioxide? Carbon dioxide is described by the Environmental Protection Agency as “the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities” (Greenhouse Gas Overview). This particular greenhouse gas is a “colorless, odorless and non-poisonous gas” (carbon dioxide emissions) that remains resident in the Earth's atmosphere. This is bad, because since the sun emits heat (solar heat) to the Earth and CO2 traps that heat in the Earth; causing global warming.Now, the...... halves of the card...... will be given and to whom, if any; and the advantages of a CO2 tax outweigh the cons (emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere). However, there are countries that have implemented a CO2 tax and have achieved excellent results. Would this be a viable way for the United States to wean itself off fossil fuels and enter a new technological era? Only time will tell. After all, there are better ways to power your vehicles and power your buildings. Works Cited http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html Overview of Greenhouse Gases http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail .asp?ID=6323Glossary of Statistical Terms, Emissions carbon dioxidehttp://www.carbontax.org/progress/where-carbon-is-taxed/Carbon Tax Centerhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/ 23/usa-carbon-tax-idUSL2N0E323B20130523Reuters, the US carbon tax could raise revenue and curb climate change - report