Carbon taxes help economy, environment

DEAR EDITOR:

Re: ‚“Carbon tax another cash grab” (editorial, Feb. 3)

Whether governments give back the whole or part of the fees they collect from the carbon tax is not important, as long as rebates are given to the people who need them. The current B.C. and federal carbon tax plans give most people more money back than they pay in.

Fees help pay for government rebate programs, retrofit funding and other initiatives.

Anti-tax penny-pinchers are ignoring the hidden costs of greenhouse gas pollution — asthma and poor health from fossil fuel emissions and rising insurance rates due to the floods, fires and extreme weather events caused by climate change.

Economists agree that carbon taxes are the cheapest and quickest way to lower emissions. The fees motivate industries and individuals to make energy efficient choices and to switch to cleaner energy.

Some of the countries with the highest carbon fees have the bestperforming economies. That’s why industry and business groups like the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Mining Association and ExxonMobil back the carbon tax; they prefer that market forces drive change and innovation rather than governments regulating emissions targets.

The old saying, “Penny wise pound foolish” applies to anti-carbon tax folks. Whether we like it or not, watching global temperatures rise while doing nothing is much more costly.

Margaret Holm, Penticton