JOHN CHUCKMAN COMMENT: HOW HIGH THE CARBON TAX MUST REACH - JUST SOME OF THE REASONS IT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA - GOVERNMENT IS TERRIBLE AT FINDING CREATIVE NEW APPROACHES TO ANYTHING - AND MUCH OF THE TAX WILL JUST BE PUT INTO GENERAL REVENUE TO COVER IRRESPONSIBLE DEFICITS - GERMAN GOVERNMENT'S COSTLY WINDMILL FAILURE - BUT GERMAN INDUSTRY WANTS RUSSIAN GAS AND LOTS OF IT

John Chuckman


COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE IN CBC NEWS



“Carbon tax must hit $210 per tonne by 2030 to meet Paris targets, report concludes

“The tax remains the most cost-effective tool for fighting climate change, says Ecofiscal Commission”



A sure route to destroying a country's international economic competitiveness. As well as further heavily eroding individual citizens' ability to budget for their needs.

Remember, too, the world faces an extremely serious economic event ahead, one that could result in years of stress like the Great Depression, no matter how much the central banks try ameliorating it.

It is unavoidable, and it will, at the very least, surpass the event of 2008. American trade policies and sanctions now are only hammering away more at the foundations of a fragile world economy.

It is a certainty that many competitors will not adopt such taxes, including the one to our South.  Moreover, Canada's actual contribution to carbon dioxide is tiny, 1.6% of world emissions. We cannot, no matter how much we hurt ourselves economically, have much impact.

And if we are sure that carbon is driving the climate change we see - something I believe has not been convincingly proved - why aren't we building nuclear electric plants everywhere?

They are carbon-free and supply long-term, dependable electricity at literally a fraction of the cost of any of "the alternates" you care to name. Their construction in numbers, too, could provide important national economic stimulus for years to come.

Canada already suffers from many long-term economic problems. Its future in terms of good new jobs is not bright. Quite the opposite. It seems the height of folly to deliberately add high additional taxes in a jurisdiction not known for low taxation. Just self-flagellation.

And really, does anyone believe the Trudeau government has shown such wisdom and competence in any of its major undertakings, that it can be trusted in matters of such almost life-and-death importance?

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A comment below says, "however governments (including BC) have been putting carbon tax revenue into general revenue instead of putting it solely into green initiatives. When the money is put 100% into these initiatives, everyone could buy in."

Yes, indeed, to the first part. But the second part is highly questionable.

Government just is not in a position to judge, and of a disposition to do, such things wisely.

It will take good money from productive and solid enterprise and 'invest" it into many iffy and poorly-managed projects.

That is, to the extent that it just does not put it into general revenue, something tempting and likely for our many indebted governments.

Even if you accept the carbon hypothesis for global warming, you cannot crash-program your way out.

It is actually dangerous to think that you can.

There are just so many past examples.

Germany's vast effort over the last decade or so at wind farms has proved costly and inefficient by every measure. And the machines’ healthy life expectancy is surprisingly brief, on the order of 15 years before you have the major project of replacing all those huge turbines.

All done while sound solutions, including nuclear, are just ignored.

But please note, German industry is not so fluffy-headed. It wants natural gas from Russia, and lots of it. And it is getting it through several new major pipelines.