The Case for a Carbon Tax

There's a simple, straightforward way to cut carbon emissions-and we're rejecting it because of irrational political fears. That's the central argument of The Case for a Carbon Tax, a clear-eyed, sophisticated analysis of climate change policy.

Shi-Ling Hsu weighs the merits of the four major approaches to curbing CO2: cap-and-trade; command and control regulation; government subsidies of alternative energy; and carbon taxes. He does not claim that a tax is the perfect or only solution-but that unlike the alternatives, it can be implemented immediately and paired effectively with other approaches.

Hsu deftly explores the social and political factors that prevent us from embracing this commonsense approach. And he shows why we must get past our hang-ups if we are to avert a global crisis.

Shi-Ling Hsu is Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Law, where he has taught since 2004. Dr. Hsu has also been an Associate Professor at George Washington University. He has taught courses in Environmental Law, Climate Change, Law and Economics, and Property.

Prior to his academic career, Dr. Hsu was Senior Attorney and Economist for the Environmental Law Institute in Washington D.C; Deputy City Attorney in San Francisco; and practiced law with Fenwick & West in Palo Alto, California.

Professor Hsu has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, a J.D., from Columbia Law School, and a M.S. in Ecology and Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics, both from the University of California, Davis.