Carbon tax folly?
An open letter from 200 economists defending the Carbon Tax presupposes that Canada’s reduction of its two per cent of world CO2 emissions will significantly alter climate change. It will not.
Much of the world suffers poverty which they seek to alleviate with relatively cheap energy — but not the expensive and inconsistent energy of wind and solar, which rely on backup. China and India are heavily invested in coal energy, which is one of the greatest contributors to human caused CO2 emissions. That situation is unlikely to change without much research, development and technology.
Focussing on achieving net-zero will deprive Canada of legitimate use and sales of its own stores of fossil fuels, leaving other countries to supply world needs until there is a viable cheap energy replacement.
Currently Canada annually imports billions of dollars in oil and oil products from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Norway, Colombia and the UK — despite Canada’s own vast natural supplies. Why should other countries supply what we have in great quantity, and what we and others continue to purchase?
Forcing Canadians, via annually increased gas taxes, to limit travel or to purchase expensive electric cars, may partially “work” in reducing Canada’s minuscule CO2 emissions to the world atmosphere, but at what cost?
Edward Field
Duncan