Friday, January 23, 2009

Chapter 4 Government in Canada

article: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=19c0eab5-07e6-4036-8f3a-40d43966dba2

Summary
The article I read discusses about the issue of carbon taxes and how the BC government plans to make new adjustments to combat climate change. Finance Minister Carole Taylor considers taxing as a way to cut down the usage of burning fossil fuels but before that, she says she’ll try to figure out how a carbon tax would work in the economy. Furthermore, there would be more tax incentives to pick a greener lifestyle and reduces the energy. University of B.C economist David Green states “if we increase the price of goods and fuels that pollute, less people would use them.” Carbon taxes have been one of the supporting energy conservation. Taxes could then be put on fuels or either built into the prices of goods that use carbon in the manufacturing process.

Connections:
I think the main connection of this article to our economic textbook is the benefits-received approach. B.C Government requires people to be taxed on the basis of the benefits that they will receive from the government. In the article, the government of B.C plans to increase carbon taxes in order to change the climate. This may not be a benefit to people who pay, but it is a benefit to the society. Another connection is direct taxes. Money is collected from the government which will then be put into good use such as creating a better environment.

Reflections:
I believe the government has done the correct thing by putting carbon taxes. It makes Canada look more cleaner with less polluted air. By increasing carbon taxes, it would be a benefit to the society because the government would reduce the carbon emissions and this might prevent global warming. It will increase the wellness of the society since the air is much fresh. Increasing Carbon taxes would hopefully cause people to find other solutions to get the job done. For example, people these days really depend on cars as their transportation. With the increase on taxes, people might consider taking buses, biking, or walking instead of cars.

2 comments:

Michael Li said...

The carbon tax is a great step into becoming a better and greener planet. Drivers would need to give a second thought whether to drive or not. I like the idea that carbon tax would be contributed into researches for a better and cleaner energy. If you are a heavy car user, you would take a bigger hit and pay lots of carbon tax. However, if you are a person who takes public transportation regularly, you would not have to pay as much carbon tax since you are already helping the environment. Even though the government is putting more tax on the Canadian citizens, I support this action because it might decrease global warming significantly.

Jenny Z said...

I understand that by importing a carbon tax will help to ensure a better environment and slow down the global warming rate; however, I don't think it’s a good idea to tax on gas right now. I’m sure every household will turn on its heat during this time of the year. It’s a necessary. You might say that only owners need to pay for carbon tax and it’s reasonable, but I think owners will pass extra expands onto renters. Therefore, everyone needs to pay for the carbon tax. In addition, many employees are being layoff these days. They have less and less money to expense. The carbon tax will add to their burdens and make everyone’s life harder. The prices increased in products will also prevent customs from buying sells. The economic situation will therefore become worse and repeat itself.
By Jenny Z.