Reducing GHG emissions will take time

Regarding Rachael Harder’s article published in the Herald on June 1, entitled “Carbon tax won’t save environment,” where she suggests taking a poll to see whether the carbon tax is working or not by raising your hand, in response I would like to ask you to raise your hand if:

You installed a thermostat in your home that lets you automatically lower the heat in your house overnight or when you are away, significantly reducing your heating costs;

You have replaced all of your incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs;

You have used your bicycle or taken public transportation whenever possible;

You are contemplating on buying a smaller car when your present car needs replacement, or better yet, you are contemplating purchasing a hybrid or electric car as your next car;

You consciously purchase locally produced or processed foods;

You have always recycled your garbage but are now happy that through the upcoming curbside recycling, you will no longer witness the overloaded garbage tubs of your neighbours that contain up to 50 per cent recyclables;

You have planted a vegetable garden;

You receive carbon tax rebates so that the carbon tax will still allow you to buy groceries or purchase corrective lenses;

You have never contemplated that you would need to start a cotton farm and sew your own clothes, or if a farmer, you would need to use a horse to plow your fields!

Did MP Harder really expect miracles after just 1.5 years of carbon taxation? The road to rolling back our greenhouse gas emissions will be a long process. MP Harder’s negative rhetoric does nothing to help this. MP Harder, in your next “From the Hill” column, please do provide us with your ideas on how to “save the environment” because, after all, you do state that you agree that we must work together to protect our planet. Please tell us how!

Mark Goettel

Lethbridge