Oregon Public Broadcasting

The mayor of Seattle wants drivers to pay a carbon tax. Mayor Greg Nickels and State Senator Ed Murray of Seattle have rolled-out legislation that would tax vehicles based on the amount of carbon they emit. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins explains.

Here’s the idea in a nutshell.

Every year when you register your car you’d pay a surcharge. It would amount to twenty dollars per ton of carbon dioxide your car puts off in a year.

That would be determined by a formula. Mayor Nickels says the driver of a 2008 Hummer 3 would pay about $180 a year.

Greg Nickels: “When somebody invests the money in something that harms the rest of us in terms of putting the carbon into the atmosphere and exacerbating global warming that behavior should carry a cost.”

Drivers of more fuel efficient vehicles, like a Ford Focus, would pay $80 a year.

The money raised would fund transportation alternatives – such as transit and bicycle lanes.

The Mayor doesn’t expect the bill to pass this year. And it’s sure to face stiff opposition from Washington voters who’ve repeatedly said they want $30 car tabs.