Canadian Carbon Tax

In order to save our environment, and reach the Kyoto Protocol goal’s, I believe that a carbon tax is a good idea. People will not just reduce their emissions, there has to be a disincentive or an incentive to make a change. People need to be motivated whether it be positive or negative persuasion. If people were taxed for an excess of carbon, people would make an effort to try and reduce their emissions. However, if this tax were to work, proper techniques need to be implemented so carbon emissions can be properly measured. A reason the One Tonne Challenge was a "flop" was because there was no system to calculate the amount of carbon emissions produced by companies and people. Before any carbon tax is decided, both pros and cons of the topic need to be considered; CBC describes these points quite well in an article. We also need to be aware of the effects it may have on certain industries. For example, Alberta is one of the main produces of oil and gas in Canada, and they would be hit quite hard with carbon taxes. Also, trucking industries would suffer as they rely on the burning of fossil fuels to keep the companies going. Of course though, one of the most famous environmentalist in Canada, David Suzuki, totally agrees with carbon taxes. He makes a good point that the USA has had one for years, and if they can do it, so can we. In conclusion, I think a carbon tax would be a wise idea for Canada, but further research needs to be done.