Transcript GEOG 101: Day 18

Housekeeping Items
0 A reminder that the Avenues for Action
conference is this Saturday. It’s free with lunch
provided in 355. For more information and an
opportunity to register, see
http://studentblogs.viu.ca/avenuesforaction/
schedule/.
0 LCAs are due next Thursday.
0 I talked to the chair of Chemistry and he
thinks that the models on ocean acidification
are sound, so it must have been another prof.
Housekeeping Items
0 From what I can tell BC’s carbon tax infrastructure is still in
place, though Christy Clark has talked about getting rid of it
(she did, however, sign a recent carbon agreement with
Washington, Oregon, and California in October 2013:
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_24406734/californiaoregon-washington-and-british-columbia-sign-climate).
0 BACKGROUND (in report by “Sustainability with Prosperity”)
0 • On 1 July 2008, BC brought in North America’s first carbon
tax shift. It imposed a price on the use of carbon- based fuels,
with all the revenues going to fund corresponding cuts in
other taxes
• The tax is a central component of BC’s climate change
strategy, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by 33 percent
below 2007 levels by 2020.
Housekeeping Items
0 BC’s carbon tax shift was designed to be “revenue
neutral”; all the revenues are to be used to reduce
other taxes – mainly through cuts to income taxes
(personal and corporate), as well as targeted tax
relief for vulnerable households and
communities – resulting in no overall increase in
taxation
• When introduced in 2008, the tax was initially
set at $10 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2e). It was designed to rise by $5 per year
thereafter until it reached $30 per tonne (roughly
7 cents per litre of gas) in 2012.
Housekeeping Items
0 THE REPORT’S KEY FINDINGS ARE THAT:
• Since the carbon tax took effect (July 1, 2008), BC’s
fuel consumption has fallen by 17.4% per capita
(and fallen by 18.8% relative to the rest of Canada).
• These reductions have occurred across all the fuel
types covered by the tax (not just vehicle fuel)
• BC’s GDP kept pace with the rest of Canada’s over
that time
• The tax shift has enabled BC to have Canada’s
lowest income tax rates (as of 2012).
• The tax shift has benefited taxpayers; cuts to
income and other taxes have exceeded carbon tax
revenues by $500 million from 2008-12.
Housekeeping Items
Stewart Elgie, Professor of law and economics at
University of Ottawa, and the report’s lead author, says:
0 “BC’s experience shows that it is possible to have both a
healthier environment and a strong economy -- by
taxing pollution and lowering income taxes.”
0 Canada’s premiers met from July 24-26, 2012 to discuss
a proposed Canadian Energy Strategy which includes “a
more integrated approach to climate change”. Elgie
commented: “I hope that BC’s success will inspire
Canada’s premiers to show leadership on a national
approach to pricing carbon pollution.” It seems that that
has not been the case.
Housekeeping Items
0 We didn’t get to finish the slides and we kind of rushed
through the last few. I would like to go back to them and
have some related discussion and exercises.
0 In addition to talking about concrete exercises, I would
like to do a role play modeling an international conference
on climate change solutions. I will break you into four
groups: 1) Canada and the U.S.; 2) China; 3) developing
countries most affected by climate change, and 4) leaders
in renewable energy (Sweden and Germany, etc.). Your job
will be to first determine what your position would be at
an international conference and why? Prepare a short
speech for everyone. Give your speech. Offer rebuttals to
what you hear, and then offer what would acceptable
solutions for you.