The author is the one confused on what is real action and what is not.  Applying macro-economic tools in the form of a carbon tax to a physical problem is not real.  Substituting EVs for ICE cars is real.

There are no viable substitutes for oil in a number of critical sectors - agriculture, air travel and freight, heavy freight - ocean and land, mining etc.  Electrifying the passenger car fleet is highly doable and will yield large carbon emissions reductions. 

If we are going to achieve the immensely difficult task of being carbon neutral in 30 years, then we need a strategy which directly applies physical mechanisms, not market shaping (hopefully) theory.  EV incentives have a real, definable and immediate effect.  A carbon tax is a useful tool but as a strategy, it is simply a delaying and disinformation tactic.

Cheers,
John Meyer