Carbon Tax Discussions
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carbon tax discusions
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You are right, government regulation on industry would be passed on to consumers, but so will this carbon tax. So implementing it as a tax shows me that the government just wants to profit off of it. Tax incentives result in the government agreeing to take less of your money if you show you are spending your money in a sustainable way. The government doesn't give you money, they just tax you less. Half of Winnipeg's emissions come from vehicles (1/3 from private cars), offering the ability to claim a portion of the purchase of a Hybrid/Electric car up to $45,000 would help encourage the transition. Also allowing people who buy bikes and bus passes to claim the total amount would also help. You can encourage people to change by making it a positive to change in stead of punishing those who don't change. |
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At the end of the day, in a democratic market economy, the government can influence your consumption decisions in two ways: taxing goods and services that bring about negative externalities/outcomes (i.e. pollution), and subsidizing positive externalities/outcomes (i.e. reducing carbon footprint by buying electric vehicles in jurisdictions that provide clean electricity). Both can be effective if done right. |
The carbon tax is supposed to alter your habits away from fossil fuels. Is it the best system, probably not. But it's something. Will it last, probably not.
Change to electric when the time comes. Cars, heating, whatever. |
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There's no way to properly incentivize all low-carbon activities, but slap a tax on it and you can instantly create a negative incentive for everything carbon-intensive. Even things like where people buy their homes. If gas is pricey people might think twice about that McMansion out in the boonies where they have to drive 50km to work and back each day. I'd love to see how you put together a tax break scheme that rewards people for living closer to work or in a walkable neighbourhood, or for buying a smaller house with lower heating costs, etc. If you reward people for putting a more efficient furnace in their giant home you're really just encouraging more consumption - how would you reward someone for just buying a smaller home with less space to heat? |
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This tax is literally just going to hurt the lowest income earners and everyone else will just get over it. Eventually those at the lower end of the earning scale will feel the pinch more and more, which is not in anyone's interest. I unequivocally disagree that the carbon tax is in any way an effective emissions reduction measure. Those who can afford the tax will alter their habits in negligible ways and those who are already struggling will be in even more unstable financial situations. Maybe let's incentivize the production of renewable energy instead (because your electric car and green electric heating is dirtier than anything if you produce power with coal) and make investments in useful transit so that those who need to drive to get places might actually have a viable alternative, not this "made-in-winnipeg" bullshit transit solution. Also make investments in alternative energy science and research and make the information open-source so the private sector can take advantage and make the transition away from fossil fuels voluntarily. |
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https://www.saskwind.ca/per-capita-ghgs-sk-world/ |
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Also, I said this before, but it is absolutely appalling that the roofs of buildings in downtown (and elsewhere) Regina aren't covered in solar panels. |
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Since we talk construction here, buildings/construction/demolition and the life of buildings play a much bigger role in pollutants and energy waste/consumption. I think tackling that aspect and its effect on the environment/resources should have a bigger focus in todays world. Having more efficiently designed residential, commercial and industrial buildings closer to a passiv-haus standard could go a long way. |
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The issue isn't farmers. It's people in White City or Warman who put on 30k km a year. Or the people in suburban Regina/Saskatoon who drive everywhere. Or the non ag workers in small town Saskatchewan who continue to aggressively support coal.
Realistically, commuters and coal power plants are far and away our biggest problem polluters. We should have fazed coal out in the 60s. |
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