Even France Can't Tax Carbon

Nicolas Sarkozy hasn't had an easy time passing a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Plumer:

The goings-on in France are worth checking out for anyone who thinks a carbon tax might be a more politically palatable method of dealing with global warming than the cap-and-trade approach. As it turns out, the carbon fee has been remarkably easy to demagogueand this in a left-leaning country that's hardly averse to taxes. Sarkozy's presidential opponent, Segolene Royal, dashed out of the gate early on this, criticizing the proposal as "unjust" and "inefficient"even though most economists will happily tell you that a straight-up carbon tax is the most efficient way to curb emissions.