Carbon tax is simple

Re: Canadians are going to pay for climate change with or without a carbon tax, March 15

Canada entered into international agreements to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate global warming. One of the ways to achieve this is to reduce emissions from vehicles.

We know most people are lazy or, in some cases, obtuse. So to get people to drive less or switch to electric, the government introduced a tax on gasoline that escalates over time to act as a stick for socially bad behaviour. In the meantime, most of this money is rebated to individuals, although for some reason most people seem to be unaware or disbelieving.

Canada’s political right has offered no sensible alternative. For it, either global warming doesn’t exist or we are having individual rights taken away. I understand Alberta’s position as it is our most significant fossil fuel producer. It also messed up accumulating oil wealth for the day it knew would come when oil revenue dries up.

Saskatchewan on the other hand will be first in line for handouts when the West becomes a dust bowl. If you think food is expensive now, wait until global warming really kicks in.

Believe the politicians if you will or believe the changes we are seeing in our weather.

Instead of the government rebating the carbon tax, it should use it to build charging stations. A high price for gas and ease of charging an electric vehicle, along with cash incentives to buy electric vehicles, would hasten the move to electric: carrot and stick.

Bob Koruna, St. Catharines