There has been quite a stir recently in Canada with flailing Liberal ridings in eastern Canada getting carbon tax exemptions. Besides the very obvious cynical partisanship shown by the NDP-supported Liberals is the unsaid admission that carbon taxes are hurting Canadians. In fact, carbon taxes are one of the many government contributions to our current inflation disaster.
However, inflation and increased energy costs are actually the benefit and are the desired outcomes of the carbon tax. The idea is that our carbon based energy consumption will become so expensive we’ll be forced to alter our style of consumption to more expensive green options or reduce our consumption altogether. Unfortunately some of that consumption is the food we eat.
There really needs to be a deeper, meaningful discussion on the best ways to reduce carbon emissions. The U.S. has outpaced our CO2 reduction by embracing fracking and natural gas. Mr. Harper was able to reduce emissions by an industry by industry audit, regulation and technological development.
My vote has always been in technological development (that provides cheap, ‘green’ energy options) that we can export to developing nations (where the future carbon impacts are really happening).
There are so many options, maybe it’s time to allow an open discussion on the topic. One that doesn’t involve outrageous, and likely useless, sacrifices by Canadians.
Martin Barker,
North Cowichan