Re: Carbon tax ‘hoax’
Yes, the climate has been changing for thousands of years (well, technically, billions of years). Climatologists have created sophisticated models to help determine why it changes. Using those models, they have determined that if we don’t drastically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we emit, global temperatures will continue to increase, with devastating consequences on our way of life. Rising global temperatures have confirmed this, we ignore these warnings at our peril. Its not a coincidence that virtually every year we break a new record for hottest year in recorded history.
The terms ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change’ have both been used since 1975. You can thank the Republicans, not climatologists, for the change. They thought that using the term ‘climate change’ would make it less scary and that people would be less likely to act to address the problem as a result. Based on this, and other, letters to the editor, it apparently worked on some of you.
Canada does in fact generate less than 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions (1.58% in 2014). We are, however, less than 1% of the world’s population (0.5%). We are, on a per capita basis, the 8th worst offender in the world. That should be a source of national embarrassment.
Just as we shake our head at the immorality of previous generations supporting slavery, racism and sexism for so long, our children will bemoan how we could have solved this problem before it ever began, but were unwilling to part with a few extra dollars to do so. Previous generations found, and died, to preserve our freedom, and our generation is unwilling to part with some excess spending money. Personally, I’d be more than happy to pay a bit more in taxes so that my children won’t think of me as a selfish monster in twenty years.
David Brandow
Guelph
David Brandow