With the whole debate about Dion's carbon tax, and Harper's rejection of his ideas, Carbon tax is a huge current issue in Canada.
I think a carbon tax does not necessarily mean a bad thing. Just like our income taxes, most of us receive money for doing our taxes in April. The carbon tax would give everyone an alloted amount of carbon credits, and if we surpass that carbon limit we would pay the tax, depending on how many 'credits' we go over. However if we maintain and stay below the carbon credits, we would receive tax money for the many 'carbon credits' we don't use. And ideally whatever money is left over, it would be re-invested into green technology.
Yes we heat are homes, and yes we drive cars, but we would only be taxed if we were to do these things excessively. If anything, just like our normal income tax, the rich and business owners would be at the disadvantage, because they are the one's who buy big houses, and large hummers. I see it as a feasible way to be a social equalizer, and improve our social habits. It also encourages green technology, which is now a new form of industry, allotting opportunity for a new set of individuals in the amazing machine known as Capitalism..
I think the rising gas prices gives more of an incentive to buy hybrid vehicles, because as it stands, to buy a hybrid vehicle cost more than the lifetime use of a regular gas powered-vehicle. Also the price of hybrids are going drop as technology improves within the near future. A carbon tax would not only encourage Hybrid cars not only by their carbon producing nature, but money taken from the carbon tax would be re-invested back into improving the hybrid, that would reduce the cost of these vehicles.
The huge gas prices have already reflected in new green technology, for example Honda has now rolled out it's first fuel cell vehicle ready for mass production/retail. However i am against fuel cells and greatly support electric cars, which is why I'm waiting for 2010 when GM re-introduces their electric car, EV2.
We are a nation too Dependant on oil/non-renewable resources. There are always alternatives to oil consumption. Take the bus instead of driving, or even learn to ride a bike, or perhaps even a motorcycle.
Buy a smaller house, heat your house via green energy, wear more cloths, even green proof your home. There are always solutions. Consumerism is an ugly monster, we don't necessarily need that new car, or need that bigger house. Company's even know that products are designed to fail, such that you'll go out and buy a new product. I am content with how i live, and my minimalistic living costs and hope to keep this lifestyle when I'm making a salary.
The only confusion with the consumer carbon tax is the ability to keep track of everyone's carbon production.
This argument would be a great debate topic.
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5 comments:
This is a great post, and you present some very strong arguments. I strongly agree with the importance of investing money into the development of green technologies, and I also agree that society needs to be encouraged to diminish our energy wasting-pollution causing tendencies.
I do agree that a carbon tax would definitely pressure people to reduce the amount of energy they consume (e.g. drive cars less, or us alternate modes of transportation); however, what about the people who can't afford it?
The way I understood it, a carbon tax would add a cent or two to the already sky-high price of gas.
Wouldn't it be possible to not tax the gas, but still give people rebates for using less of it, and punish people for using it excessively? I am sure this would still generate some revenue for investing into new technologies.
Another thing that we have to keep in mind is that the price of gas is only going to keep rising, which in turn, is going to drive up the price of everything else.
It just seems harsh to drive the price up even higher?
Does anyone else agree?
One more thing...
I was literally flipping channels, and I saw on the news that the Stephane Dion's carbon tax plan was not received too well in the West.
Many Canadians feel that this would cause too much of a burden on the high energy producing provinces.
Dion argues that it would be better off in the long run.
This does seem to be a pretty hot topic and is worthy of further debate.
While I do believe in going green, and saving the environment, I think I have to disagree with the potential introduction of carbon taxes. One thing that neither of these posts touched upon was the idea that an implementation of carbon taxes will potentially drive large businesses out of Canada.
Think about a large car manufacturing plant. If they are limited in the amount of carbon “units” they use, and are sure that they will always go beyond this amount, they will take their business elsewhere, don’t you think? Why would they expose themselves to paying these ridiculous taxes, when they could potentially go to a place like Mexico, do their business there and not have to worry about how many carbon “units” they are using? If all big businesses do this, jobs will be lost, Canadians will be unemployed and the economy will suffer. Is this what the government wants?
Now, I am not saying that businesses will leave Canada for sure, but it is a very strong possibility. Every law that is implemented or discussed will have some sort of chain reaction and in this case, the introduction of carbon taxes would eventually kill Canada’s economy.
This is a great post. I believe that saving the environment and implementing the carbon tax would help people not use unnecessary carbon that will eventually harm our environment.
However I am also quite worried about the larger companies that would exceed the carbon limits all the time. Also if that is the case, they will eventually become bankrupt and go out of business.
AS the post above states these business could potentially leave Canada to go somewhere where they would not have to pay these taxes. I'm not sure if implementing these taxes will benefit us if that results in people losing jobs and our economy diminishing. If that happens people will not even be able to pay these taxes so what would be the point then?
So I'm still indecisive if implementing these taxes would be the right choice?
The thing that makes Canada an up coming supper power is our abundance of natural resources. Our natural resources depend on a clean environment. If we don't have a clean environment, then there wouldn't be any natural resources, and as such either way there wouldn't be any businesses. For example, due to global warming, 60% of BC's forest is diminished due to the ever decreasing winters. Pine Beatles are diminishing our the trees making them useless for cultivation. The forest industry has taken a huge hit from global warming.
The reason why companies migrate up to Canada in the first place is our natural resources, just take Alberta's oil sands. Natural resources thrive on the environment.
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