B.C. carbon tax kicks in on Canada Day

British Columbians will pay more at the gas pump as the provincial government’s carbon tax on all fossil fuels takes effect Tuesday.

The carbon tax, introduced in the Feb. 19 budget, taxes carbon-based fuels — including gasoline, diesel, natural gas and home heating fuel — at a rate of $10 per tonne of greenhouse gases generated. The carbon tax will rise $5 a tonne for the next four years until it hits $30 per tonne in 2012.

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The real green shift

The most obvious problem with the Green Shift proposed by Stéphane Dion is that the Liberal party plan will not reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, if at all. The hidden assumption is that if the new carbon tax works, it will reduce the revenues available to the federal government.

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The Carbon Tax: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

The price of oil is going up, up, up, and while there is much speculation about the cause(s), it is wishful thinking to believe that most of the cause is speculation - or that prices will "return to normal." What does this mean for carbon taxes and for our plan of action?

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Environmental ‘reality check’ aims to clear the air on B.C. carbon tax

VANCOUVER – B.C.’s carbon tax, which takes effect July 1, has many British Columbians talking, but the debate has also stirred up a lot of confusion. To help clear the air, a coalition of environmental groups today released a “Reality Check” fact sheet on the top five misconceptions about the tax.

“We want all British Columbians to work together to solve the problem of global warming, and we believe a carbon tax can provide the signal for all of us to shift to cleaner energy and greener practices,” said Ian Bruce, a climate change specialist with the David Suzuki Foundation.

“It’s great that there’s so much debate about the carbon tax and its role in reducing global warming, but we want to make sure the debate is based on fact and not misinformation,” said Andrea Reimer, executive director of the Wilderness Committee.

“Reality Check” addresses the top five misconceptions about the B.C. carbon tax, including:

Myth 1 - The B.C. carbon tax won’t reduce emissions. Myth 2 - Big industry is left off the hook. Myth 3 - B.C.’s carbon tax is a “tax grab” or additional tax. Myth 4 - B.C.’s carbon tax will hit consumers who are already reeling from high international oil prices. Myth 5 - B.C. has introduced a “gas tax”.

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