Frank McDonald reports (October 28) that the Royal Irish Academy has endorsed the idea of a carbon tax. According to his account, it might appear that the purpose of the tax is to lower income tax and help the competitiveness of Ireland. Surely the primary reason for the tax is to decrease the emission of CO2 into the environment, a most worthy idea.
Another effective method of reducing the emission of CO2 is by substituting alternative forms of energy for fossil fuels. We are already on the way to developing sustainable sources of energy. However, some of these – wind and solar power especially – are subject to climatic conditions; they therefore need an equal source of back-up power. The most obvious source of reliable, safe and cheap power is from nuclear energy, as France and over thirty other countries can confirm.
