I am an environmentalist. I like BC and want to help change the world through smarter conservation of energy and better programs to reduce energy consumption. One thing that I found today deeply disturbs me. It turns out that the Carbon Tax is nothing more than a money grab. The math behind the alleged 4.5% reduction between 2007 and 2010 does not account for the general economy shrinking. In fact, the 2012 liberal budget in British Columbia actually concluded that GHG's are on the rise and we will produce more.
Time for some common sense.
Carbon tax – as announced in Budget 2008, the carbon tax rate per tonne of CO2- equivalent will increase by $5 each year to $30 per tonne by July 1, 2012. The forecast assumes that purchased volumes of natural gas will grow by 2.0 per cent annually, while consumption of gasoline is expected to remain constant. Revenue is expected to increase in line with these higher rates and assumed volume growth.So in short, the Carbon Tax needs to be scrapped. It needs to be replaced with effective programs to actually reduce green house gas emissions and other forms of energy (a mantra I have been chanting for decades now thank you). The current Carbon Tax only adds costs to everything we buy and puts our businesses at a disadvantage in a global economy.
Time for some common sense.
