The case for a carbon tax (and refund system)

[grassfarmer]

Excellent article by Darrin Qualman in the MB Cooperator this week. Page 5 at the following link.

[URL="http://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MBC170420.pdf#_ga=1.261778829.1283490176.137994099 2"]http://https://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/MBC170420.pdf#_ga=1.261778829.1283490176.137994099 2[/URL]

I think this is the smart way to approach this issue given that: a) climate change is real. b) a carbon tax is coming. c) denial is not a solution.

[westernvicki]

Australia kicked the carbon tax to the curb, they like us are an export based economy and found it was a detriment to business and a cost to society.

Reward conservation if you are serious, this is a tax.

[Braveheart]

That looks like an administrative nightmare. It also makes more to finance till some rebate comes through. If this is the best Qualman could come up with from deep within NFU headquarters they're in more trouble than usual.

The fact is, A CARBON TAX WILL DO NOTHING TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE. It's only a way to attack corporations and business.

[chuckChuck]

That looks like an administrative nightmare. It also makes more to finance till some rebate comes through. If this is the best Qualman could come up with from deep within NFU headquarters they're in more trouble than usual.

The fact is, A CARBON TAX WILL DO NOTHING TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE. It's only a way to attack corporations and business.

So are you saying that raising the price of any commodity or service does not change usage or consumption? When gasoline hit a $1.50 per litre because of high oil prices a few years ago did consumption go up or down?

If the price of oil reached $200 per barrel next month would the world use more oil or less oil?

This is basic economics. A carbon tax will raise the price of gasoline and will reduce consumption. By how much will depend on the price. This will in turn will reduce carbon emissions.

Even Steven Harper signed onto an agreement with other developed countries that the world needs to move away from carbon based energy by the year 2100. How fast and how far we can go is the question.

[chuckChuck]

BC has had a carbon tax that is revenue neutral and their economy is doing relatively well.

[SASKFARMER3]

Yea chuck BC stands for Bring Cash. They are doing so well because of a housing boom. My brothers shack in North Van is worth a small fortune.

But a Carbon tax is a tax and now JT will add GST to that tax so a tax on a tax is still a tax.

Most intelligent people realize that conservation is a good thing but what the Politicians are pushing is just plain nuts.

[Hamloc]

There are a couple points I agree with in this article. First there is no doubt that carbon taxes will eventually reach 100 dollars per tonne, I think 200-300 a tonne is where they will peak. Look at tobacco taxes, when I was a kid in 1980 I could buy a pack for 1 dollar, I haven't smoked for years but that same pack is over 14 dollars now and people still smoke. At 200 dollars a tonne carbon emissions would be lowered because there would be much less employment. The second thing I will agree with is that the large corps supplying all our inputs are making the money not the farmers, that is obvious. And if you think our urban controlled governments would allow farmers to get back all the carbon tax you are dreaming.

[blackpowder]

Sin taxes appear to only work so so.
Direct taxes on poor even with refund is still a hit.

[farming101]

When gas was 1.50 a liter poor people with no access to additional funds used less.
No one else cut back as verified by the speed of traffic at the time

[chuckChuck]

Agriculture will need some kind of rebate, exemption or protection from higher input costs. How this will be done is not clear since each province can decide. Agriculture will also have to change practices to reduce emissions. Getting credits for carbon emission reducing practices and stored carbon would be beneficial.