Guest essay by Eric Worrall
On the 21st of October, The Conversation wants Canadians to vote for more tax, greater climate sacrifices and higher energy costs.
At the ballot box, cast a vote for climate change innovation and investment
October 19, 2019 5.16am AEDTJason MacLean Assistant Professor of Law and Associate Member of the School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan
Catherine Potvin Professor of Biology, McGill University…
As interdisciplinary climate scholars working on Canada’s transition to a zero-carbon society, we suggest Canadians consider which party is most capable of advancing the following three climate policy priorities following the election.
…
There are three key cost components to climate policy.
1. Maintaining carbon pricing
We can’t afford to scrap the federal carbon price. It’s as necessary as taking an antibiotic when facing a strong microbial infection.In fact, the carbon price must rise over time — and fast. Pricing carbon emissions below the cost of their damage to society — the “social cost of carbon” — subsidizes air pollution and climate change.
…
2. Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggests that fossil fuel subsidies have declined in Canada since 2013. But the OECD’s estimate omits negative externalities, including the costs of climate change, air pollution and traffic accidents. It also ignores Canada’s increasing subsidies to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry.…
3. Investing in a zero-carbon transition
According to Natural Resources Canada, the federal and provincial investments in energy research, development and deployment (RD&D) totalled $2.26 billion for the fossil fuel industry, including carbon capture and storage, between 2011 and 2015. That was nearly double their investments in RD&D for renewable energy, at $1.39 billion.…
Read more: http://theconversation.com/at-the-ballot-box-cast-a-vote-for-climate-change-innovation-and-investment-125411
Canadians, your duty is clear. Forget that new automobile or home improvement or loan repayment, forget about staying warm this winter.
This is no time to be selfish.
Give to the government and the climate establishment, so they can continue their tireless efforts to fly to climate conferences in exotic holiday destinations, to save the world from warmer weather.
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“We can’t afford to scrap the federal carbon price. It’s as necessary as taking an antibiotic when facing a strong microbial infection.”
Well we know how that’s turned out with resistance and golden staph jumping in with it at every sneeze and wheeze with helicopter parents fearing the worst.
there are a number of economic professors in Canadian universities that are pushing the narrative “THAT CARBON TAX REDUCES FUEL USAGE”. Their biggest example that these stupid taxes work is the Carbon tax on fuel in the lower mainland of BC. Oh LOOK they say the gasoline sales are down across the whole district so the tax is reducing the amount of fuel burned by drivers in the lower mainland. WRONG again. The cross border shopping trips to Washington state have increased to record levels. if you go to any gas station on the US side of the border there are line ups of BC plated cars filling their cars and as many Portable gasoline cans and containers as they can fit into their vehicles. All’s the tax did was for people to waste more fuel driving back and forth and waiting in the long lines on both sides of the border. One guy I talked to who does this saves $200.00 a month to keep his families three vehicles fueled up even with the exchange rates.
F&WW analysis of B.C. carbon tax says “During the years that the tax was in place for the entire year, from 2009 to 2014, greenhouse gas emissions from taxed sources rose by a total of 4.3 percent. During this same time period, emissions from non-taxed sources fell by a total of 2.1 percent“
Same thing here in the UP of Michigan, trucks from Ontario with their beds full of jerry cans getting gas.
Somewhere close to 90 percent of Canada’s population live within 100 miles of the US border. They don’t live there because they love the US, they live there because it’s the warmest region in the country. If global warming really did raise the temperature there several degrees C, vast regions of Canada’s plains would grow substantially more corn and grain, instead of a bit of winter wheat and potatoes. Canada could become an agricultural powerhouse. Besides that, instead of traveling all the way to Florida and Texas for the winter, a shorter trip to Missouri and Tennessee would do just fine. I cannot foresee anything bad that would happen to Canadian citizens.
“if you go to any gas station on the US side of the border there are line ups of BC plated cars filling their cars and as many Portable gasoline cans and containers as they can fit into their vehicles.”
Nope, haven’t seen that. I drive that I5 corridor a few times a week.
You have to pull off the I5 Interstate to see all the Canadian cars in Blaine, Bellingham, or more rural, Sumas, Lynden, Birch Bay area etc filling up. I cross these border crossings all the time, and sometimes the majority of vehicles at Costco gas bar and some of the malls are Cdn plates. Just not gas but shopping for groceries, clothes…even with the dollar difference it is substantial savings, like a gallon of milk. When the dollar was par, sometimes the vast majority of vehicles were Cdn and USA retailers were pushing the border guards to go a little easier for cross border shopping because it makes up a substantial part of the border town business. Very significant for the economy of northern Wa border towns, special for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians living within a few miles of the border.
Yes, I see them all the time too. I work in Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Sumas, Custer, Deming, Burlington, Mt Vernon, etc, all the way down to Shoreling regularly, off and on the main roads.
What I don’t see are “line ups of BC plated cars filling their cars and as many Portable gasoline cans and containers as they can fit into their vehicles”. They fill up at Costco, because they’re shopping at Costco, duh. But they don’t have their vehicles filled with gas cans. I specifically quoted the hyperbole that simply isn’t true.
Yes, you right Jeff…it used to be a problem. The border guards started clamping down on folk with too many gas cans in the back seat of their car and trunk. Way too dangerous, hauling around gas like that, and too much hassle for the guards to be opening these stinking gas cans looking for other contraband. I was told 2 5 gallon jerry cans each, but they will sometimes allow 3-4 if it is busy. I don’t bother with cans of gas going north…just to save a few bucks per jug. But I will certainly fill up both tanks of diesel in my 1 ton Dodge/camper and save maybe $40-$50. That adds up.
Nah, we have Costco. I guarantee you, we travel south for warmth.
Then why are you clogging up the US Costco stores near the border? It’s no warmer in Bellingham than it is in Vancouver.
Cheaper milk and gas, and a lot of other stuff. It is only a 10-15 minute drive for a lot of folk, and an excuse to go to another country, although you would barely know which country you were in if there were no licence plates or flags. Everybody is pretty much the same both sides of the border, although Canada, especially in Abbotsford and Surrey/Richmond is much more urban than the agriculture areas of border town Wa. I prefer Wa, and Birch Bay in particular. A really nice hidden little getaway from the bustle of Vancouver and suburbia and is my home away from home.
Can anyone tell me of 1 election anywhere, when having an actual choice, people have voted for more, rather than less/lesser, climate action?
I don’tn think they’re voting based on “climate action”. If such a thing happens, it’s most likely incidental.
I’ll take that as a “no”.
Until they can prove beyond reasonable doubt , the little molecule CO2 has more affect on the worlds climate than the sun/oceans temp/currents or water vapour the science is settled mantra needs to be unsettled .
Over Time for some for serious debate on these issues which are trying to kill off life as we know it .
Education is the key , but they seem to control that as well .
“CO2 has more affect on the worlds climate”
Effect.
With conservatives like this, who needs conservatives?
Da Convo; Tweeter without the 142 character limit.. Deprecated, impeached, ignored.
Late comment but the election is over and so is the Bernie PPC revenge party . He lost and they got very little traction . Too bad in a way but the deck is heavily stacked against the Conservative Party to start with .
Almost 60% of the House of Commons seats are from two provinces Ontario and Quebec .
Five minutes after the polls closed in British Columbia the winning party was announced . British Columbia votes weren’t even counted and it was over . Considering Saskatchewan and Alberta went almost 100% Conservative Party that tells you why the west now wants out . OK at least Alberta .
Quebec which has 23% of the seats in Canada gave the separatist party BQ 40 % of their 78 seats .
In a nut shell Canada’s newly elected parliament consists of 35% Conservative and a 65 % mix of
socialists, unionists , separatists wanting their own country , and greens .
Canada is screwed .