
Canada Moves Ahead on Carbon Taxes, Leaving the U.S. Behind - endswapper
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602857/canada-moves-ahead-on-carbon-taxes-leaving-the-us-behind/
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randomgyatwork
Given a global market, a carbon tax is a disadvantage to Canada as it forces
prices upward.

This idea would work best if everyone had to do it, otherwise there are
further incentives to move industries out of Canada.

Although they talk about making the revenue neutral it seems unlikely that the
government is going to give up the extra money.

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tn13
This is not some kind of race where anyone has to get ahead of each other.
These complex issues have two sides and we need to examine the both.

~~~
a-priori
People have examined the issue. They concluded that carbon emissions are
causing increased global temperatures, and that the solution is to reduce
carbon emissions. The best way we know of to do so on a national scale is by
adding a cost on the polluter for emitting carbon.

Now we're moving on from examining the issue to implementing solutions, and
the Paris Agreement -- which came into effect earlier this month -- is the
international community declaring that this is the case.

Canada is implementing its part of the Agreement as promised.

~~~
blackflame7000
This sounds like the opinion of someone who has never had to deal with
business crushing regulation. The fact is that there needs to be a balance. It
is foolish to impose economy killing policies when other countries openly
pollute vast quantities on the other side of the planet. Additionally, many of
these policies assume Man is only capable of causing climate change and not
capable of fixing it. However, early experimental evidence supports the notion
that we might be able to solve the carbon problem scientifically.
[http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-
tech/a23417/co...](http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-
tech/a23417/convert-co2-into-ethanol/)

Obviously this is not a call to abandon environmental protections, but rather
a call to be more pragmatic in our solutions. If this last month has taught me
anything its that projections are not fortunes and it is dangerous to assume
the equivalence.

~~~
sdm
But Carbon taxes are proven policy that benefit the economy. See the FA's
reference to BC's carbon tax which has been an enormous success. We are long
past the point where people can claim carbon taxes as potentially negative for
the economy or unproven.

~~~
blackflame7000
The simple fact is that carbon taxes are only effective if all countries are
participating but India, China, and large portions of Africa, the middle east,
and south america are not. It will not be effective until we solve 3rd world
problems first.

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chmln
Canadian here from Toronto.

Taxes on the middle class have become absolutely ridiculous. Property taxes
rise every year, electricity prices have nearly doubled, and payroll taxes
take away a third of your income from every paycheck.

The vast amount of benefits in Canada go to the lower class, and disappear if
you move up a tax bracket. The rich simply don't pay the taxes [1].

People here _want_ to be friendly to the environment, but trusting inefficient
bureaucrats to handle taxpayer money properly is obviously not a good idea.

[1] [http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/justin-trudeaus-
econo...](http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/justin-trudeaus-economic-
promises-off-to-a-sluggish-start/)

~~~
sdm
>Canadian here from Toronto.

Canadian in Vancouver here.

> Taxes on the middle class have become absolutely ridiculous.

I disagree. We are lower taxed than some US states, depending on which
province you are in, and get much much more in services.

> Property taxes rise every year

Citation needed. They have actually dropped here. See:
[http://vancouver.ca/home-property-
development/residential.as...](http://vancouver.ca/home-property-
development/residential.aspx)

> electricity prices have nearly doubled

Citation need. BC Hydro's rate went up 4%, slightly above inflation.

> payroll taxes take away a third of your income from every paycheck.

That's odd as Canada doesn't have a payroll tax. Perhaps you mean payroll
deductions for income tax withholding and pension/employment insurance
premiums? None of these technically have to be withheld from your pay, but it
is helpful to do so.

> The vast amount of benefits in Canada go to the lower class, and disappear
> if you move up a tax bracket.

It doesn't work like that. The middle class gets the bulk of the benefits
(roads, airport, higher education, etc). Secondly, there is no case where
making more money doesn't put you further ahead. All programs, like taxes,
have progressive scales applied to them. This just isn't an issue.

