I was reading the local paper online today and came across this article.
I've been reading through the comments that people have posted here, and I have to say, I am APPALLED at some people. APPALLED! Is recycling really *that* difficult, people? I'm all for instituting a "clear bag" policy for our garbage...particularly since we will still be allowed one black bag per collection week for "personal items" (although for those us truly environmentally friendly, even that isn't necessary). For those of you who aren't familiar, read about the Diva cup here.
Our world is in trouble, people. The only way that it's going to get better is if everyone contributes in some way. We have people in this world who can do big things to make our planet better - they have lots of money, lots of influence, lots of time and resources. Then there's the rest of us. And what can we do? We can reduce our garbage. It's pretty simple. If you don't know what to do, take 10 minutes to familiarize yourselves with your city or town's garbage and recycling policy, and then follow it! Right now, I am living in a household of 4. I don't consider us to be "recycling nazis" in that I know that every now again something makes it into the garbage that likely doesn't belong there. But for the most part, even my 3 year old knows what belongs in the compost and the recycling. Generally on trash day, we put out two (yes, that's right -- two) bags of garbage...sometimes we don't even have that. That's a bag of garbage per week, for a household of four people. And let me point out that my youngest still wears disposable diapers at night. Once she's out of those, our garbage will be reduced even further.
Currently in our city there is a 6 bag limit per household. Personally, I think that's WAY too much. I can't fathom what people are putting into their garbage, if they meet (or exceed!) that limit.
I am appalled that so many people in our society are too lazy to recycle and be careful of what they put in the trash. There's no excuse for it! As I've said before, our planet is in serious trouble. We live in a world of excess and consumerism, and something must be done about it. I am ashamed that I live in a society of people who are so utterly selfish that their own comfort and convenience outweighs the future of our planet.
Why not start in your own home? All it takes is a few extra minutes of your time. Isn't the planet, and the human race worth that, at least?
Showing posts with label environmentalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environmentalism. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
David Suzuki on The Carbon Tax
I get a regular newsletter from the David Suzuki Foundation. I'll admit that I don't *always* read it, but this week's topic caught my attention. I liked it so much, I thought I'd post it here.
Oh - and by the way - I agree 100% with what he has to say. I firmly believe that while there are some people out there who will change because "it's the right thing to do", the vast majority of people aren't going to change until it hits them where it really hurts - the wallet. And let's face it, those of us who are environmentally conscious also save ourselves money - hanging clothes on the clothesline, turning down the hot water tank, turning off unnecessary lights, turning down the heat in the wintertime.
Bring on the carbon tax. I'm ready for it.
Oh - and by the way - I agree 100% with what he has to say. I firmly believe that while there are some people out there who will change because "it's the right thing to do", the vast majority of people aren't going to change until it hits them where it really hurts - the wallet. And let's face it, those of us who are environmentally conscious also save ourselves money - hanging clothes on the clothesline, turning down the hot water tank, turning off unnecessary lights, turning down the heat in the wintertime.
Bring on the carbon tax. I'm ready for it.
* * * * *
After all, the vast majority of the world’s climate scientists will only admit to being 90 per cent certain that our carbon emissions are causing global warming on such a scale that we face global catastrophe if we fail to change our ways. If nine out of 10 doctors said your child needed an immediate operation, would you wait until all 10 agreed? James Hansen, a leading climate expert who raised the alarm about global warming to the U.S. Congress 20 years ago, says he’s 99 per cent sure, but that’s still not 100 per cent, so why should we pay more by way of a carbon tax to address a problem that may not exist?
True, a report prepared by M.K. Jaccard and Associates for the David Suzuki Foundation titled Pricing Carbon: Saving Green argued persuasively that a carbon tax is an effective tool for bringing emissions down, and governments, scientists, and economists around the world agree, but what if they’re wrong? Never mind that countries such as Sweden, which implemented a carbon tax in 1991, have proven such measures are effective and that they actually produce economic benefits; why should we change if we don’t have to? Rising gas prices due to global market forces are already hitting us hard enough; why should we add to the misery?
Consider this: If the industry shills and their followers are right and global warming is not the threat we think it is, and we act anyway, the oil will still be there for future use and we’ll also have cleaner air and greater innovation in green technologies – along with stronger economies. If the majority of the world’s climate scientists are right and we fail to act, we face ecological, social, and economic catastrophe on a scale beyond anything we’ve experienced in modern times.
Consider also that carbon taxes such as B.C.’s and the one the federal Liberals have proposed are actually tax shifts. The money collected from individuals, businesses, and industry will be returned in the form of cuts to personal and business taxes. The 2.4 cents a litre increase in gas prices that is one small part of the B.C. tax is minuscule compared to market increases, and the tax may help us move away from continued reliance on increasingly scarce and costly fossil fuels.
Whether it’s called a tax shift, a revenue-neutral tax, or a new tax, it will get people worked up. No one likes taxes, but we like roads and schools and hospitals and police services, so we pay them. We also pay about $90 a tonne to put garbage into landfills, so why are we so concerned about having to pay to put garbage into the air?
Politicians have two powerful instruments to influence behaviour: regulation and taxation. In the mindless mantra of anti-taxation groups, taxes are bad and we should always cut and never increase them. The ludicrous aspect is that these groups are silent about the enormous taxpayer subsidies to fossil-fuel and related industries that make windfall profits while resisting even a small tax hike.
Together with measures such as a cap-and-trade program, a carbon tax can use money from industries that are not energy-efficient to create economic benefits and incentives for those that that are wiser in their energy use. The income generated by a carbon tax can be used to cut income taxes, build more public transit, upgrade trains, develop renewable-energy sources, and retrofit homes and buildings with energy-efficient technology.
For 20 years, scientists have warned of the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Leading economists have shown that the cost to bring emissions down will be about one per cent of GDP annually, while the costs incurred if we don’t reduce emissions could be economically catastrophic.
When politicians, business people, and citizens show leadership by proposing or implementing solutions to the very real problems facing the planet (yes, more than 90 per cent certain is as real as it gets in science), they deserve our support, not mockery and politically motivated misinformation. Axe the tax, my ass!
www.davidsuzuki.org
Let’s clear the air on carbon taxes
I admit: we aren’t 100 per cent sure that human activity is causing global warming. So let’s all go home in our SUVs and join an "axe the tax" campaign. Come to think of it, we aren’t sure that our houses will be robbed, flooded, or burned to the ground, so let’s cancel our home insurance while we’re at it.After all, the vast majority of the world’s climate scientists will only admit to being 90 per cent certain that our carbon emissions are causing global warming on such a scale that we face global catastrophe if we fail to change our ways. If nine out of 10 doctors said your child needed an immediate operation, would you wait until all 10 agreed? James Hansen, a leading climate expert who raised the alarm about global warming to the U.S. Congress 20 years ago, says he’s 99 per cent sure, but that’s still not 100 per cent, so why should we pay more by way of a carbon tax to address a problem that may not exist?
True, a report prepared by M.K. Jaccard and Associates for the David Suzuki Foundation titled Pricing Carbon: Saving Green argued persuasively that a carbon tax is an effective tool for bringing emissions down, and governments, scientists, and economists around the world agree, but what if they’re wrong? Never mind that countries such as Sweden, which implemented a carbon tax in 1991, have proven such measures are effective and that they actually produce economic benefits; why should we change if we don’t have to? Rising gas prices due to global market forces are already hitting us hard enough; why should we add to the misery?
Consider this: If the industry shills and their followers are right and global warming is not the threat we think it is, and we act anyway, the oil will still be there for future use and we’ll also have cleaner air and greater innovation in green technologies – along with stronger economies. If the majority of the world’s climate scientists are right and we fail to act, we face ecological, social, and economic catastrophe on a scale beyond anything we’ve experienced in modern times.
Consider also that carbon taxes such as B.C.’s and the one the federal Liberals have proposed are actually tax shifts. The money collected from individuals, businesses, and industry will be returned in the form of cuts to personal and business taxes. The 2.4 cents a litre increase in gas prices that is one small part of the B.C. tax is minuscule compared to market increases, and the tax may help us move away from continued reliance on increasingly scarce and costly fossil fuels.
Whether it’s called a tax shift, a revenue-neutral tax, or a new tax, it will get people worked up. No one likes taxes, but we like roads and schools and hospitals and police services, so we pay them. We also pay about $90 a tonne to put garbage into landfills, so why are we so concerned about having to pay to put garbage into the air?
Politicians have two powerful instruments to influence behaviour: regulation and taxation. In the mindless mantra of anti-taxation groups, taxes are bad and we should always cut and never increase them. The ludicrous aspect is that these groups are silent about the enormous taxpayer subsidies to fossil-fuel and related industries that make windfall profits while resisting even a small tax hike.
Together with measures such as a cap-and-trade program, a carbon tax can use money from industries that are not energy-efficient to create economic benefits and incentives for those that that are wiser in their energy use. The income generated by a carbon tax can be used to cut income taxes, build more public transit, upgrade trains, develop renewable-energy sources, and retrofit homes and buildings with energy-efficient technology.
For 20 years, scientists have warned of the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Leading economists have shown that the cost to bring emissions down will be about one per cent of GDP annually, while the costs incurred if we don’t reduce emissions could be economically catastrophic.
When politicians, business people, and citizens show leadership by proposing or implementing solutions to the very real problems facing the planet (yes, more than 90 per cent certain is as real as it gets in science), they deserve our support, not mockery and politically motivated misinformation. Axe the tax, my ass!
www.davidsuzuki.org
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