Like many of his fellow conservatives, Alex Flint wants the government to reduce income taxes. He says it can do so while helping to reduce carbon pollution at the same time.

Flint: “Our view is that taxes shouldn’t be on earnings and incomes – those are a disincentive to economic growth. Much wiser would be to be put a tax on those things that we want to discourage like emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.”

As executive director of the nonprofit Alliance for Market Solutions, Flint works to rally support for a so-called revenue-neutral carbon tax.

He says if it were implemented, the government’s total tax revenue would remain the same, but carbon polluters would pay a larger share.

Flint: “Everyone will suddenly have an economic incentive to avoid emitting greenhouse gases.”

That, he says, would motivate companies to conserve energy, switch to renewables, and develop cleaner technology.

He says this model may resonate with conservatives who are increasingly concerned about climate change.

Flint: “We can – if we use the tax code rather than regulations or subsidies – both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and grow the economy and that is very attractive to conservatives.”

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media.