“SaskPower’s pledge to increase renewable energy generation is important, but the Saskatchewan provincial government’s unwillingness to introduce carbon pricing means Saskatchewan is now “an outlier in Confederation” when it comes to climate policy, one expert says.”
Last year, contrary to all other provinces, Saskatchewan refused to implement a carbon tax on citizens. This action very clearly opposes the effort to reduce climate change. With all of the proof that exists of climate change and our negative effects on the earth how is it that climate change remains the last priority for so many. I was raised in Saskatchewan and I can personally and statistically confirm it’s one of the most conservative(synonymous with least progressive in my mind) provinces in Canada. As an economy that is nearly completely dependent on the oil and gas industry it’s no wonder that they support a more conservative government. When I read about this last year I instantly got all hot and bothered thinking come on Sask don’t be stubborn please, be a follower and sign the bill. However my thoughts trailed on quickly into why it was that Saskatchewan did not want to implement this carbon tax and how these barriers could be broken down. More importantly I wondered if anyone in legislative had actively tried to break down these barriers down to make this tax easier for Saskatchewan to implement.
First of all, prairie winter primes people in ways to be naturally unsustainable. The winters are hellishly cold and long, which make it hard to compost, and make power bills very high. If rain in Vancouver discourages people from using transit, imagine the effects that -40 snowstorms would have on their willingness to ride the bus. Combine that with an extraordinarily inefficient transit system and it’s the perfect cocktail for an economy that relies on personally owned vehicles. Then the percentage of income earned through the oil and gas industry, and it’s not that surprising that most people are not prioritizing climate change.
The point of this post is that if the government is serious about taking a stance on climate change then it should play a role in educating the population. If Brad Wall does not want to charge a carbon tax then the government should work on educating Saskatchewan residents so that they force him to do so themselves.
Yes a carbon tax would probably not be great the Saskatchewan economy in this moment, but in a world where oil is becoming more scarce, the Saskatchewan economy will be much worse off in the long run if it keeps hanging on to a dying industry. A carbon tax is actually probably exactly what Saskatchewan needs. The tax will provide a push for the province to be more innovative and efficient, to step away from the oil industry and to adapt or be left in the dust.
Articles:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/brad-wall-cop21-carbon-tax-saskatchewan-1.3343519
