– By Geoff Strong and Richard van der Jagt –
Time is short for gaining control over our climate before it hits a tipping point, after which we lose the opportunity to turn things around. While our emphasis is the destructive impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on our warming climate, fossil fuels also release toxic air pollutants (such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide), responsible for millions of deaths annually around the globe. We review the various suggestions put forward for reducing carbon emissions and pollutants, then discuss the most viable solution.
Emission Reductions with Continued Support for Fossil Fuels
Government is committed to planting three billion new trees in Canada by 2030. This program is far over-rated as a means to fight climate change, especially the government’s intention to help counter carbon emissions. Strong (2022, 2024) showed that it would take 10 billion mature trees (50-100 years old, not new seedlings) to sequester Canada’s 730 MT of annual carbon emissions. Those statistics make tree planting helpful for drawing down atmospheric CO2 over the next two centuries, but not for countering annual emissions.
The federal government requires all new vehicles sold in Canada to be electric by 2030. This is arguably the most positive part of current federal climate policy for reducing emissions. Transportation accounts for about 25% of all carbon emissions in North America, and about 75% of this is from road vehicles. If all road vehicles were electric by 2035, then that replaces almost 20% of fossil fuels.
The carbon tax has become a major source of debate, where seven provinces have pleaded for it to be removed or not increased further. The federal Conservative Party leads the charge, claiming this tax is hurting lower income families who must choose between paying rent or buying groceries, but they clearly misrepresent the effects of the tax, or else are being deliberately deceptive.
Let’s take a sober look at this tax: Gasoline price at the pump on Vancouver Island was raised by 50 cents/liter between mid-January and mid-April this year, of which only 3.3 cents could be blamed on the carbon tax increase, and we can anticipate further price increases by June. In 2022, gasoline increased by $1.00/liter more by late summer. Much of these increases are simply price gouging by the provider, taking advantage of the fact that the public drives more during summer regardless of price increases; and if $1.00/liter extra doesn’t limit their driving, then the carbon tax increase almost certainly won’t. Lower income families benefit from the tax, receiving more in tax rebates than they pay out. The carbon tax may help convince some to purchase that long-planned EV, but further price increases are more likely to accomplish that.
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