With the BC provincial election approaching, I’m a bit surprised that we haven’t heard too much about the BC carbon tax lately. I do a quick news search every day or two on Google and I hardly see anything interesting about the BC carbon tax. Today I found Clark Williams-Derry (director of Sightline Institute) of Seattle, who wrote this commentary published on the current issue of Georgia Straight discussing that the hybrid system of carbon tax plus a cap and trade system is the best solution.
A hybrid system—a tax plus a cap—would provide some predictability about prices, as well as a firm guarantee that we’ll meet our climate goals. The tax keeps the system moving forward, continually improving our performance. And the cap is like a sturdy guardrail that keeps us on the road to success, making sure that we make steady, secure progress in creating a climate-friendly economy.
This makes sense and this hybrid system will exactly be the system that BC is going to have! The carbon tax will always be around, and the cap and trade system will come in to get the carbon that is not taxed, typically from process fuel from large emitters.
I’m excited about seeing how this hybrid system will work in BC, and i have no doubt that it will.
If you’re a carbon tax or a carbon cap and trade system supporter, are you in for a hybrid system?
UBC has developed this awesome Metro Vancouver cycling route planner for Vancouverites using Google Maps. Cyclists can search for routes that have features such as minimum elevation gains, minimum air pollution, and minimum distances, ..etc. Pretty cool, I think. I mapped out my route already - from downtown to West Van. My route details include:
- Route length: 7.591 km.
- Estimated time: 0 hr 30 min.
- GHG prevented: 1.9 kg.
- Calories burned: 165.1 kCal.
- Mean NO2 level: 25 ppb.
- Elevation gain: 107 m.
- Mean veg cover: 24 %.
- Bike activated signal:
->> Not sure what this means…….
What is your cycling route like?
I consider myself a Vancouver Canucks hockey fan. In fact, although not not expert in NHL, I usually keep an eye on what’s going on. I just discovered the NHLPA Carbon Neutral Challenge that initiated April 2009. I honestly have NOT heard of it, ever! I did stop watching hockey because Canucks didn’t make the playoffs, but I thought I might learn about the challenge as 523 players have signed up! For a 23-men roster for 30 teams in NHL, that works out to be 76% of the rosters in NHL have signed up for the challenge! You think there should be a bit more PR…. or maybe there was, i just completely missed it. Actually all high profile players you can think of are on the list!
The process is quite simple. You sign up, you calculate your personnel carbon footprint from designated websites, and then you buy “good” carbon credits to offset the carbon footprint… Unfortunately, in addition to minimal PR, it also feels like that players just pay their way to carbon neutrality because caring for the environment just seems like a fad! I want to know:
- what’s the carbon footprint of a Canuck who travels more than an Islander?
- what’s the carbon footprint of a NHL hockey player comparing to you and I?
- did they calculate their own carbon footprint?
- what’s going on in 2009?
If you know anything.. let me know…
Not that unbelievable =)
I came across “A consumer’s guide to retail carbon offset providers” last night in search for “reputable carbon credits sources”. This is a pretty good read. They rated carbon credits providers under a few categories and came up with a list of companies that they recommend:
Nothing about Canadian companies… I’ll do more research!
BC Carbon Tax | flo | 
March 20, 2009 5:00 am | 
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