To the editor:
Re: Inconvenient truths of climate change (B.C. Views, Dec. 3)
As Tom Fletcher pointed out, there are many questions on climate change.
I’m not sure that British Columbia or Canada is the problem, but the B.C. Liberal government is on the right track with the carbon tax because it is apparent that Canadians need to lead on the environment, and be seen as leading.
We need to be able to market our resources and lead in sustainability.
The B.C. carbon tax has pluses and minuses.
Some of the carbon tax burden is returned to lower income earners – this is a good thing.
The tax, however, does little to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
If four of the $5 billion collected over the past six years had been invested in reforestation, carbon sinks, the B.C. government could proclaim to the rest of Canada and the world that we are making a real difference.
I think B.C. and Canada are doing a good job on environmental issue, but we need to be seen to be doing more.
A B.C. carbon tax that brings in $5 billion to provide $5.7 billion in tax cuts does not appear to me to be making the necessary changes in addressing the global environmental concerns.
The perception is that we are doing nothing. This needs to change.
Phil Harrison
Comox
