Any carbon tax or carbon tax-like policy will be passed on. However, the _absence of a carbon tax_ already causes costs we don't see yet, when in the future, people die as a consequence of climate change.
> the _absence of a carbon tax_ already causes costs we don't see yet
We're talking about CA here. A single, albeit large, US state. As we see from emissions moving from the west to China, if CA imposes a tax then carbon emissions will just move somewhere else. The absence of a carbon tax in one US state likely has little effect on AGW. I would argue that interfering with market based production location may cause even more emissions as shipping costs may increase.
Ok, so all the carbon moves to developing nations that don't care. What will we have achieved beyond lowering the standard of living in developed nations?
A dramatic reduction in pollution resulting in fewer deaths by respiratory hazards? And once carbon pricing for imports comes in you get to price carbon appropriately all around?
We're talking about CA here. A single, albeit large, US state. As we see from emissions moving from the west to China, if CA imposes a tax then carbon emissions will just move somewhere else. The absence of a carbon tax in one US state likely has little effect on AGW. I would argue that interfering with market based production location may cause even more emissions as shipping costs may increase.