China burning more coal doesn't make it okay. Their economy is unsustainable.
I also heard the interview, and though you may not like to hear it, she's right. Some smaller fossil energy companies will go bankrupt, just as emerging technologies develop. This is especially true in the exploration sector as well as off-shore oil rigs. Don't worry, the large petro corporations will continue to extract for some time.
Carbon tax and credits generally balance out for the middle class, but from what I understand as income increases, so does the likelyhood to vote Republican. I would think there would be some blowback to luxury carbon tax in the higher brackets.