March 22

Feebates and tax shifting to reduce taxes on income and labour, replacing the revenue with taxes on pollution, waste, resource consumption, sprawl, traffic, etc. is exactly what is needed to change the behaviour of people, businesses, and the market in general. Employment and research on green technologies, services, and products goes up. Pollution, etc. goes down. There are some great European examples of how this can be done successfully. Set-up properly, citizens and industries that are leading 'greener' lives should actually save more money in taxes compared with the current system which ignores known market failures. Reversing those perverse subsidies to resource extraction companies as well as implementing more realistic resource royalties is also important.

Taxation does not change behavior We have sin taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, gambling and people still smoke and drink (especially while gambling). We pay a huge tax on fuel and there is continued grid lock on the Port Mann bridge. People just accept tax as a way of life. Reversing the notion why don't we give tax breaks on products that are less carbon intensive. This will incent people to look for goods which carry a lower tax bill. This provides a true market based incentive for consumers to change. Similarly renewable energy can have less GST on it, a manufacturer buying product that is less carbon intensive gets a break and so on.

Carbon tax gradient
A carbon tax would be a radical and probably effective way to change behaviour. Changing behaviour regarding fossil fuels and emissions is critical to prosperity in the upcoming decades as China and others drive the price of fuel skyward. As others have noted however, the challenge will be twofold - arguing for its relevancy (costs / benefits) to Canadians in daily life in such a way that everyone will agree to a carbon tax, and re-allocating tax structures (tax shifting) in such a way that addresses the new taxation's structure's winners and losers. A link to global warming responses and climate change adaptation strategies would be necessary and a long slow phased in process likely inevitable.

Are we not taxed enough with every fill? I walk to work and so a tank of gas lasts about 2 months, but I'm fully aware that every time I do purchase petrol, I'm donating half of that payment to Government. However, if a measure such as a carbon tax we brought in, it would end being Joe Taxpayer being nickel & dime-d to death, not the refining factories etc up in Fort Mac, mostly because Alberta would never allow it. Cash back tax incentives to Go Green is the way to go. I love doing my part to be sustainable and the fact that it's almost trendy is great, but $30 3lb chickens at Choices is absurd.