By Rowland Benjamin

In our current economic climate, the price of goods reflected in the market place a low value on non-renewable natural resources. Any external costs to the environment are ignored and, in fact, the current economic system is based around keeping these environmental costs out of the market place.

This attitude towards the natural world results in unrestricted pollution and environmental damage. The introduction of eco-taxes is one way in which this can begin to be reversed. Money raised can be used to pump into supporting environmental initiatives.

There are eco-taxes in use at the moment, mostly they do not achieve their full potential and are not effective enough to change behaviour in manufacturing or consumption. The taxes are paid and the world continues as before.

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