Editor: I am disappointed that the new Alberta government’s first legislative act this week is to repeal the Alberta carbon tax.
I believe that the climate crisis is, and will continue to be, the most important issue facing Alberta, Canada, and the world, and the carbon tax strikes me as a very sensible approach to dealing with the problem.
I also feel that it is in line with the conservative government’s espoused values: a carbon tax puts a cost on a form of pollution that is bad for everyone, and lets everyone decide how they are going to deal with that cost.
It is not overly regulatory, nor, given the way the current rebate system is operating, financially punitive.
It simply taxes a social “bad.”
To me, it’s already doing what it’s intended to do – make me think twice about the choices I make when it comes to things like driving my car.
There’s a bus service now between Lake Louise, where I live, and Banff.
This winter, I used it quite a bit, as I discovered that most of the time it was cheaper than driving.
The extra expense of fuel made me do the math, and make the change.
That’s the power of the carbon tax.
Most people are averse to added costs, and will find ways to change their behaviour.
As those costs go up, we all collectively, start to swing towards lower emission alternatives, like more fuel efficient cars, public transit, better built and insulated homes.
To the new UCP government, please don’t think that this is a smart decision for Alberta.
With the stroke of your pen, think of what you are giving up: much of the social capital our province has earned by having a carbon tax; our control over where that revenue is spent (since the federal government will apply its carbon tax in place of ours); and, finally, a policy that the majority of economists, many newspaper editorial boards, and lots of citizens believe is an essential policy tool to lower our use of fossil fuels.
I see no upsides to this choice, only downsides.
Joel Hagen,
Lake Louise
