Dave,
I have copied and pasted below the description from the Government of Canada
website. It appears to me that the plan is to tax fuels based on consumption,
then spread the wealth by giving it all back to the public (the end consumers).
There is no mention of investing in research or promoting clean energy
solutions. So it’s another income equalization scheme from our government
friends. Since we don’t drive a lot of miles, we will likely benefit, although
we don’t need the money. Taxi driver’s, etc. who may need the money but drive a
lot of miles will lose.
I did not object to the Carbon Tax when I first heard about it because it
sounded like the money would be used to promote various alternative green
energy projects. This is just another example of income redistribution that
hurts the poor more than it benefits them and does nothing to benefit the
primary objective, except possibly making people think more about turning off
their lights when they leave a room and turning the key in their cars for trips
that are not really important, etc. (which is a good thing but could have been
accomplished in other ways).
For industry it is another tax to be passed on to consumers. Hello inflation,
welcome home.
Cheers,
Bob Thomlinson
Federal system highlights
The federal carbon pollution pricing system will be implemented, in part, in
Alberta under the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. A charge on
fossil fuels, generally paid by registered distributors (fuel producers and
distributors), as set out in Part 1 of the Act, will start applying as of
January 1, 2020, with a carbon pollution price of $20 per tonne of carbon
dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Information
<https://www.fin.gc.ca/n18/data/18-097_3-eng.asp> on targeted relief for rural
and remote residents, farmers and fishers is available from Finance Canada.
Use of proceeds
The Government of Canada will return all direct proceeds collected in Alberta
from the federal fuel charge through direct payments to families and
investments to reduce emissions, save money and create jobs as follows:
* Climate Action Incentive payments: The bulk of the direct proceeds from
the federal fuel charge in Alberta will be returned directly to eligible
individuals and families residing in Alberta through Climate Action Incentive
payments, starting in early 2020, through 2019 personal income tax returns.
<https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/climate-change/pricing-pollution-how-it-will-work/alberta.html#fn1>
Footnote1
* Support for particularly affected sectors: The remainder of fuel charge
proceeds will be used to provide support to the province’s schools, hospitals,
small and medium-sized businesses, colleges and universities, municipalities,
not for profit organizations and Indigenous communities, which will help save
money and create good jobs. In Alberta, this amount is estimated at $610
million over the next four fiscal years.
How Climate Action Incentive payments will be calculated - an Alberta family of
four will receive $888 in 2020
Exceptionally, the first Climate Action Incentive payment claimed by eligible
Albertans will reflect fuel charge proceeds generated over a 15-month period.
This consists of three months (January-March 2020) with a carbon price of $20,
plus 12 months (April 2020-March 2021) with a carbon price of $30.
For residents of Alberta, the proposed Climate Action Incentive payment amounts
for 2020 are as follows:
* $444 for a single adult or the first adult in a couple.
* $222 for the second adult in a couple. Single parents will receive this
amount for their first child.
* $111 for each child in the family (starting with the second child for
single parents).
Based on these proposed amounts and taking into account the various family
compositions and circumstances, households in Alberta will receive $880 on
average, in early 2020, which consists of $126 for the first three months of
the fuel charge (January-March 2020) and $754 for the next 12 months (April
2020-March 2021).
In future years, as in other jurisdictions where Climate Action Incentive
payments are available, payments will reflect direct fuel charge proceeds
generated over a 12-month period (from March through April) at a given carbon
price.
From: dsp-ea-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <dsp-ea-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
On Behalf Of Dave Kerr
Sent: November 4, 2022 4:13 PM
To: dsp-ea-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Natural verses anthropogenic climate change
My question to-day is: Is the Carbon Tax being used to help solve climate
change, or is it a redistribution of wealth? How much of the Carbon Tax in
Canada is going towards Scientific options?
It would appear Canadians have no option but to pay the tax as we for the most
part require fuel for heating and travel. Especially those of us in Rural
Alberta. Therefore, we are not reducing our Carbon consumption, yet paying out
of our pocket...to whom? If it was 100% for research purposes, it would be
much easier to understand.
Cheers,
Dave
On Fri, Nov 4, 2022 at 3:05 PM Wynn Payne <wynn.payne@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:wynn.payne@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Hi Bryan
Thanks for the detailed explanation. This makes sense to me.
As a second layer of the problem how much does Canada contribute to the problem
in relation to the whole world? My understand is that China and India combined
represent maybe 85% of the problem and that Canada is maybe 1%. Are those good
estimates?
If we are at say 3 % how much change do we have to do a less significant
contributor for the problem? ie we are making our standard of living more
expensive while not being a significant contributor. Unless we can get China
and India on side our efforts have little effect while economically they
manufacturer without the costs of reducing carbon contribution.
This last summer there was an initiative to reduce fertilizer use in grain
production. That seemed to be counter productive to supplying the world what
it needs to survive.
To all, keep the comments coming while remaining courteous.
Thanks
Wynn
On Fri, Nov 4, 2022 at 2:52 PM R Bryan Waller <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Over the millennia earth has been subject to variable climate change
indépendant of the actions of mankind.There have been at least 5 distinct ice
ages in the past 650,000 years.These changes are due to a number of factors
including the tilt of earth orbit,warming and cooling of the oceans,volcanic
activity and variability of energy output by the sun.It is possible to chart
these changes through the examination of ice cores from the Greenland and
Antarctic ice caps.In support of those who believe the changes we are seeing
are due to natural causes we are at a point in the epoch where we are emerging
from the most recent ice age and there is a natural warming trend.
Having said that these natural trends are measured in tens of thousands of
years.Our current
accelerated warming trend has occurred in the last 250 years ,a mere thane
blink of an eye in time.It coïncides with the industrial revolution and the
burning of fossil fuels and explosive population growth.
Earths temperature has increased 5 degrees since the latest ice age more than
10,000 years ago which averages out to .05 degrees every 100 years.Over the
last 100 years the mean temperature of earth has increased 1.4 degrees.The
world is heating up exponentially faster than ever before.That is an undeniable
fact.Of course the warming is not a constant throughout the globe.Some areas
may be cooler than in the previous years.It is the planet as a whole that is
warming at a far greater rate than ever seen in the determinable record.
The reason is the increase in the so called greenhouse gases.The chief of these
is carbon dioxide but also include other gases such as methane and nitrous
oxide.They are called greenhouse gases because of particular qualities.They
transmit light but absorb and radiate infra red light.The world would be
uninhabitable if we did not have greenhouse gases because of their role in
warming the planet.
By the examination of air bubbles cast in ice cores scientists have determined
over the course of discernable history thé concentration of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere has varied from 180 to 300 parts per million .Modern levels are
at more than 400 parts per million and increasing rapidly.There is no question
for the most part these emissions come from the burning of fossil
fuels.Scientist are able to differentiate fossil fuel carbon dioxide from
naturally occurring carbon dioxide.Other greenhouse gases such as methane and
nitrous oxide which have an even greater warming effect are also
increasing.Methane comes from rotting garbage and belching cows and nitrous
oxide from the use of nitrogen fertilizers.
The evidence is overwhelming and is found in the rapidity of these events far
exceeding any natural discernable natural occurrences.There are charts and
scientific literature than explains it far better than I can but here are the
bare bones of the argument.As I have said this is an accepted conclusion from
the vast majority of climate scientists.There may be the odd outlier but I have
never seen one with any credibility.The earth has been able to adapt to changes
over the millennia but can it adapt to dramatic change over centuries? We
humans are ingenious creatures and perhaps we will adapt ….or perhaps not.Bryan
Sent from my iPad
