@ Gar lipow: you make some very prescient points that i had not considered. In particular, the differential effects regulation has on individuals and small businesses as opposed to corporations and how significant the former groups are in climate change mitigation. However, i still think that a carbon tax is crucial to preventing firms from using intensifying climate degradation as a competitive strategy to deal with declining (high energy return on investment) fossil fuel reserves and competition from alternative energy sources. I also think you haven't adequately addressed the idea that regulations function as intermittent carbon taxes on corporations when the only punishment are fines that might be less costly then complying.
I look forward to your book
-- -Nathan Tankus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------