[Alta_redneck]

Canada has no shortage of purposeful provincial premiers, including Christy Clark in British Columbia. Her Liberal government’s handling of the climate change file deserves the attention of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley when it comes to balancing good intentions with economic realities.

B.C. struck a blue-ribbon committee of environmentalists, academics and business leaders in May 2015 — the same month Notley formed government here in Alberta — to look at the carbon tax that has been frozen at $30 per tonne of emissions since 2012. The group recommended the rate be increased five-fold, to $160 a tonne, by 2030. Wisely, Clark has refused to follow the advice, preferring to take a wait-and-see approach as she presides over a strong economy — certainly one performing better than the one Notley is overseeing.

It’s worth noting that unlike the hasty measures Notley has implemented to address climate change, British Columbia’s policy is revenue neutral. That means income taxes and corporate taxes have been reduced a commensurate amount to account for the carbon tax levied by the government.

Here in Alberta, energy prices paid by consumers will rise Jan. 1, and again the following year, with the vague promise that some of the money will be returned to families of limited means. No one knows what impact higher gas prices will have on groceries and other products, such as clothing, which must be shipped by fuel-powered vehicles. We also don’t know the consequences of a hurried shutting down of coal-fired electricity plants, nor of the NDP’s clumsy handling of power purchase arrangements.

Obviously, Clark’s reticence isn’t being universally applauded. “Regrettably, the plan falls far short of the government’s own climate and economic goals and does not heed the advice of the premier’s expert panel,” complained Josha MacNab, the B.C. director of the Pembina Institute.

But the Vancouver Sun got it right in a recent editorial: “Prudence suggests that a bit of wait-and-see is neither hypocrisy nor folly on the part of B.C., which has had leading-edge carbon emissions policies to which other jurisdictions are still playing catch up.”

Let’s hope Notley borrows from Clark’s play book and acknowledges that well-intended policies can’t be imposed without considering their impact on Albertans’ economic health.

It isn’t wise to ratchet up taxes when other jurisdictions such as Saskatchewan are taking a more cautious approach — a tactic that will no doubt draw investment from Alberta as the province gives up its competitive advantage.

Leadership means making the tough decisions, and sometimes that means ignoring the dangerous advice of blue-ribbon panels, as Clark knows.

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/editor ... s-it-right

[andyt]

So a race to see who can do least about AGW? After you, Alphonse.

[Alta_redneck]

Clark realizes not all residents have public transportation available, and those people get some kind of a fuel rebate, we asked for something like that and were told to change cars. Just f%#king wow.

[andyt]

Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:

Clark realizes not all residents have public transportation available, and those people get some kind of a fuel rebate, we asked for something like that and were told to change cars. Just f%#king wow.

Huh? Haven't heard about that. There is a carbon tax credit that low income people get, whether they drive or not, but it's not a huge sum. Turns out Alberta has the same credit, it's a bit lower still, but then your carbon tax is lower than ours. Your tax on gas is 4.49 cents, ours is 7. Your rebate will make up what you spend on carbon tax for 60% of the people. Quit whining already.

[Alta_redneck]

andyt andyt:

So a race to see who can do least about AGW? After you, Alphonse.

What AGW ?

[Zipperfish]

The analysis makes sense if you assume there is no such thing as anthropogenic global arming.

[Zipperfish]

Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:

andyt andyt:

So a race to see who can do least about AGW? After you, Alphonse.

What AGW ?

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201607

$1:

For the 15th consecutive month, the global land and ocean temperature departure from average was the highest since global temperature records began in 1880. This marks the longest such streak in NOAA's 137 years of record keeping. The July 2016 combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces was 0.87°C (1.57°F) above the 20th century average, besting the previous July record set in 2015 by 0.06°C (0.11°F). July 2016 marks the 40th consecutive July with temperatures at least nominally above the 20th century average.

That AGW.

[ShepherdsDog]

Oh....you mean BBW....Better Beach Weather.

[Zipperfish]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Oh....you mean BBW....Better Beach Weather.

I thought BBW was a pr0n channel. It'll be better beach weather in Vancouver, most likely. Might drive the salmon north though.

[Public_Domain]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

The analysis makes sense if you assume there is no such thing as anthropogenic global arming.

Bart's dream

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

So a race to see who can do least about AGW? After you, Alphonse.

Naturally, you've reduced your carbon footprint to zero, right?

[BartSimpson]

Public_Domain Public_Domain:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

The analysis makes sense if you assume there is no such thing as anthropogenic global arming.

Bart's dream

If everyone was armed then dictators would have one bitch of a time imposing their will on everyone.

Lil' Kim over in Norkland would be friggin' TOAST!!!!

[andyt]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

andyt andyt:

So a race to see who can do least about AGW? After you, Alphonse.

Naturally, you've reduced your carbon footprint to zero, right?

$1:

A false dilemma (also called false dichotomy, false binary, black-and-white thinking, bifurcation, denying a conjunct, the either–or fallacy, fallacy of exhaustive hypotheses, fallacy of the excluded middle, the fallacy of false choice, or the fallacy of the false alternative) is a type of informal fallacy that involves a situation in which only limited alternatives are considered, when in fact there is at least one additional option.

Good to see you using a rightie classic.