According to Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission the carbon tax has had a good influence on the Climate and even for some on the cost of living as it is used to supplement income tax and head initiatives that move away from coal and into renewable energies to power populations. How does it effect the average citizen though who is paying for it through the companies that pass the cost down the ladder to consumers. Is it worth it in the end?
Consumer Carbon Tax
We have come to the Carbon Tax head on head discussion. With an election arriving in only a few weeks, the consumer carbon tax has been eliminated. But what does that really do for consumers. I don’t think it is going to give us a long lasting break at the pump because the gas companies who regulate the prices will just jack up the prices to actually even make more money because “people are used to paying high prices”
Also, wouldn’t it have been a great idea for provinces to use the profits from the Carbon Tax to help pay for transit which is getting cars off the road. But we have no idea where the money actually goes. I know here in BC, some in parliament even voted against eliminating the consumer carbon tax because they would be losing money for the coffers. It has been sort of an ineffective tax anyway in my opinion because it was not used for what it should have been. Meanwhile provinces spend more money on roads to allow more cars on the road. A bit self defeating I would say.
The question is, how will people feel about the Consumer carbon tax drop when they do not receive the rebate cheques which are actually more than what most pay in the tax. Is it going to be a win win or a win loss because there is no more rebate. That is up to Canadians to decide.
Industrial Carbon Tax:
So a question I have on this one is why are businesses allowed to buy and sell carbon tax credits? For example, a location that basically has no carbon tax, can sell their credits to a company so that they can create more than they would have if they were not able to buy them. However I like to think positive and hope that most of the program is being used as intended and having the effects that it was set out to have.
There is some evidence that this might be happening. You will notice in the article 6 Places Where Carbon Tax Is Working that there have been some positive benefits to the tax so at the end of the day it can definitely be a good thing. The popularity of electric cars (which have their own environmental issues) has exploded over the years so we know that consumers are thinking about it and want to do their part for the climate as we watch so much terror and destruction that has increased over the years as a result.
My Take:
Climate change is a serious thing. I have no idea how anyone can deny its presence as we watch communities be destroyed every year. Weather and its fluctuation are increasing in strength and we are now paying for our care free history and will in the future if we do not take it seriously. We are almost beyond the point of no return and it feels like we are at a tipping point as governments take sides and establish their roles in our future.
I am hopeful for our future and the vast amounts of research and work that has been done to this point and that is planned for the future. It is easy to feel discouraged but if we can each do even one or two little things such as recycling our waste we can make a difference. Even by not always renewing everything and tossing the old into the garbage, we can make a difference. Simply by taking a minute and considering the alternative and if what we want to replace can still be used. By donating things and giving them away they can stay in use and out of the big waste basket that is losing places to be.
Just my thoughts on the whole matter 🙂
