The article [“Climate Crossroads: Recommendations reflect CleanBC Roadmap plan,” September 23] references “the reduction goal of 40 per cent below 2007 levels...and there is no sign of any significant reduction thus far.”
I believe rather than concern oneself with the composition of the next city council, one needs to ask questions of the ministers of finance and the environment, and what their offices are doing to alter this fact.
My understanding is that while BC has had carbon initiatives since 2008, greenhouse gases (GHGs) have done nothing but go up every year. Yet the latter ministry hides behind the unprovable theory of “carbon intensity” that since the growth in GHGs is less than the percentage growth in either GDP and population, well, this is somehow okay.
To me it seems relevant to ask what they are doing with the carbon taxes and, while the environment minister reveals some of these initiatives, I have found it difficult to get the finance minister to show the complete picture of revenues and their application.
A government paper stated they were going to fund our Medical Services Plan (MSP) with 50 per cent of these levies, an action that would not reduce GHGs by one kilogram for every million dollars spent! Ask yourself, have you personally been offered even an electronic thermostat to be installed at no cost, or have someone conduct an energy audit on your property at no expense?
The carbon taxes across all of Canada, whether they are collected provincially under a federally “approved” plan or directly administered by the feds, are a sham.
My understanding is that Ontario, which operates federally and gets the levies paid to them by instalments, simply redistributes these amounts to their households via the tax system.
And on top of all this, I see I get charged GST on the carbon tax!
Malcolm Haynes
Powell River
