My vote on May 12th
It is election time in BC, and it is so refreshing to see that climate change policies and the environment are the hot topic.
The environmental movement is split. On one side, you have some folks saying that our present Liberal government is the worst in decades and others says that we now have world leading environmental policies. Who should you believe?
I am going to give you my point of view...
When I arrived in Vancouver 4 years ago, one of the first environmental rally that I participate was "Gateway sucks". A controversial program brought by the Liberals to add new roads and bridges in metro Vancouver. Generally speaking, simply adding more roads had proven to be wrong. The more road you add, the more cars will come to fill them up, worsening the initial problem.
I then heard about the salmon issues. The Liberals were helping the fast expansion of salmon fish farms. Salmon fish farms are located in open water, spreading disease and parasites to wild salmon passing by, threatening their own survival.
The list doesn't stop there and could probably continue for many more lines, with subsidies for oil and gas industries, lifting oil and gas exploration moratorium, etc....
But then came Al Gore and the Inconvenient truth, and Gordon Campbell changed is view on the environment.
The "new" Campbell surrounded himself of climate experts and designed arguably, the most progressive climate legislation in North America.
Some key points:
- The carbon tax, which is covering 3/4 of BC GHG's emissions. It is designed to be revenue neutral. The concept is to lower taxes on thing that we want: income, and increased taxes on things that we don't want: pollution. It will increase over time, so consumers have time to make choices to reduce their bills.
- Cap & Trade with for major polluters, which is called the Western Climate Initiative.
Other interesting point:
- 90% of new electrical power plant have to generate zero emissions.
- Introduction of a two-tier BC Hydro pricing system. This system protects low income people with a smaller energy bills until a fixed number if kWh is consumed.
- Smart metering: BC Hydro users will be able to see in real time their electricity consumption.
On campuses:
- Introduction of Bill 44, where every public institutions in BC has to become carbon neutral 2010.
Meanwhile, the NDP, which traditionally was considered environmentally friendly, vote against most of this measures and is actively campaigning against them. The most disturbing campaign was
the "axe the tax" designed to mislead the public about who is really paying the carbon tax and gaining political support. According to the NDP, all the burden is under the individuals, and the big company get free ride. As if big companies do not consume fossil fuel... The campaign was unfortunately a big success and stop the liberal climate agenda to go much further.
No one will argue that Liberals environmental policies are perfect. However they seems to understand the climate policies. It is all about pricing and covering the widest range of emissions. Climate change is the number 1 threat for the environment as well as for our human civilization. I don't see the point of fighting against small hydro electrical project to protect biodiversity, while climate change, with the pine beetle epidemic, already killed more than 10 millions of hectares of forest in BC.
Liberals have been wrong on many environmental issues and their energy and climate policies are far to be perfect. However, they took bold steps that make BC now a leader in North America. If NDP win on May 12, we are going 15 years backward. Worst, every politicians in North America will be afraid to put forward meaningful climate policies for decades ahead. Canada Liberals already put the blame of the defeat of last election on Stephane Dion's carbon tax.
For the sake of climate policies in North America, which will have huge influence on the rest of the world, for the sake of fighting global warming, I am voting against NDP on May 12th. NPD needs to stay in opposition and go back to their drawing board.
