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0 pointsacdha19d ago0 comments

It’s complicated: https://news.mit.edu/2025/decarbonizing-steel-tough-as-steel...

This is one of the stronger arguments for a carbon tax: if you can’t ignore externalities, people have strong incentives to use less (e.g. buying a car instead of an SUV or biking) and all of the alternative fuel and process work is going to be easier if the cost comparison is more even.

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jimnotgym19d ago

Thanks for the link. I read about electric arc furnaces reprocessing scrap steel somewhere else recently. Do we really never need virgin steel again, we already have all we need?

Ray2019d ago

> if you can’t ignore externalities, people have strong incentives to use less

Or vote for those who promise to cancel all of this.

acdhaOP19d ago

Yes, that’s definitely a risk when there’s a huge industry pumping out agitprop saying we don’t need to act. I think the original proposal was wise to structure it as an income tax refund so people would see a regular positive benefit.

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