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Quebec introduces carbon tax

Posted at 4:13 PM on 02 Oct 2007

Determined not to let British Columbia hog the green spotlight, the province of Quebec has introduced Canada's first carbon tax. The tax, to be levied on gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and coal, is expected to raise $200 million a year to fund the province's emissions-reduction plans. Apparently Quebec never got the memo that taxes are communist plots developed by the French ... hey, wait a minute!

source: Reuters, Associated Press, The Canadian Press
see also, in Grist: Michigan Rep. John Dingell drafts a carbon-tax bill

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Comments: (2 comments)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

It would be great if...

.. instead the people of Quebec would drive a bit less aggressively and create less pollution that way. I have to say, living in Quebec is interesting in that regard. The way many people drive, it seems that gasoline is not expensive enough already. Much fewer SUVs on the road there, however many people seem to have performance issues that they try to compensate for with high performance cars. Or at least driving as if they have one.

Of course this tax will also not decrease the pollution on this planet. More QC businesses will not be able to compete against countries were pollution is tolerated. Very few things are still made in QC. So, polluting in QC will be more expensive (unless you pollute in acceptable ways) but what Quebecers consume is mostly produced somewhere else. Just like the USA.

I have the feeling that the people of QC will see this tax not as an attempt to do the right thing, but as another attempt of politicians to line their pockets. It sounds good, it will be great to let is hang out during some global conference, but that is it. Considering how much taxes one has to pay in QC it is shocking to see the infrastructure.

Karsten
http://www.polluteless.com

by PolluteLessDotCom at 12:19 PM on 03 Oct 2007

Quebec's Carbon Tax won't change behavior

The idea is right, but the implementation is a long way from what is needed. This "tax" may generate some money to help Quebec create programs to affect climate change, but won't provide enough incentive for people to change their behavior. Do they really think that a tax of less than a cent per liter of gasoline, will mean that people drive less?

by nmcintire at 3:26 PM on 03 Oct 2007

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