British Columbia has entered a new era. Along with the majority of the world’s scientists, the province has determined that greenhouse gas emissions are affecting life on the planet.

Not content to stand by and force future generations to deal with the problem, Gordon Campbell’s government took a bold step, introducing the North American continent’s first revenue-neutral carbon tax.
Yes, buying any type of fossil fuel after July 1 will cost you more. Yes, no one likes to pay more for anything. But axe the tax?

Taxes are the most effective and efficient way to signal to firms and households the impacts and risks of their current energy use.

And don’t forget that as you pay more for fossil fuels, you’ll pay less in income and corporate taxes. Remember that revenue-neutral description?

The carbon tax is a tax shift – raising taxes on fossil fuels (which are a bad since their production and use cause the planet to warm) while lowering the taxes on a good (employment and business activity).

Our use of energy is excessive; the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found Canada is among the three worst countries on nine indicators (per capita greenhouse gas emissions, sulphur dioxide emissions, carbon monoxide emissions, volatile organic compound emissions, water consumption, energy consumption, energy efficiency, volume of trees logged and generation of nuclear waste).

A carbon tax is the only incentive that directly affects every economic decision we make. The objective is to help each of us make choices that contribute less to global warming.

Have we forgotten that 11 of the last 12 years were among the warmest since 1850? Have we forgotten the wildfires of 2003 that devastated Kelowna and other communities? Have we forgotten that over the last century, BC has lost up to 50 percent of its snow packs, and glaciers have melted away? Have we forgotten that warm winters have created the mountain pine beetle epidemic?

The good news is that BC’s government has made $160 million available to help reduce our energy use and GHG emissions.

Let’s recap the largesse:

• $60 million over three years to the LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program to help British Columbians in all parts of BC to reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs through upgrades to 40,000 homes and businesses.
• $23 million per year of Provincial Sales Tax (PST) exemptions for energy conservation equipment.
• $20 million for clean energy projects and energy efficiency programs in remote communities to reduce environmental impacts and energy costs, support regional economic development and develop innovative energy solutions.
• $5 million to expand the use of solar energy systems throughout B.C.
• $2 million to support industry training, super-efficient gas water heaters and a provincewide energy conservation potential study and implementation plan.
• $1 million to construct energy self-sufficient homes using renewable and waste energy sources.
• $500,000 to extend the Community Action on Energy and Emissions program to more communities and First Nations to help them set and achieve efficiency targets.
• $75 million in capital funding to retrofit existing provincial public sector buildings.

So it’s up to you. Choose to save energy and reduce GHG emissions or gripe each time you fill up.

If you have a computer, go to www.gov.bc.ca and click on Climate Action Plan and BC’s Carbon Tax. You’ll learn how you can be part of the solution.