From Andrew Mosi
The idea proposed in your editorial (18 December, p 3) about placing the label “good for the planet—all externalities included” on foods that have been priced to reflect their true cost should be extended to all products, particularly petrol (gasoline) and products derived largely from fossil fuels.
If the price of all consumer goods reflected their true environmental cost, then spending patterns would rapidly shift towards the least environmentally harmful products. Part of the price could be in the form of an environmental tax to be spent on environmental remediation efforts or healthcare costs resulting from pollution.
To reduce the overall tax burden on the consumer, income taxes could be lowered, particularly for those spending a large part of their income on such necessities as food.
Vancouver
