Fusion Halifax believes that our generation deserves a chance to thrive in Nova Scotia. With the impacts of climate change being felt by Nova Scotians and diverse populations worldwide, we urge our provincial government to support our future and join Canadian provinces from coast to coast in adopting a carbon price without delay.
Climate change is already impacting the careers, opportunities and challenges of Nova Scotians—and it will do so for generations. Current and potential future impacts include rising sea levels, salt water intruding into our fresh water sources, increasingly frequent and severe storms, declining food sources, deteriorating infrastructure, reduced agricultural and fishing yields and numerous physical and mental health risks.
At the 2015 United Nations climate conference, our minister of environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna, endorsed the need to limit average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Since we are currently on track to exceed 2.5 degrees of warming by 2100, we must act boldly and swiftly to ensure the 1.5 degree limit. As prime minister Trudeau has proclaimed, “pricing carbon is part of the solution that this country and all of its premiers will put forward” to address climate change.
As engaged young professionals, we call upon our provincial government to take action and adopt the carbon pricing mechanism best suited for Nova Scotia.
With over 85 percent of Canadians living in a jurisdiction that has legislated a price on carbon or is committed to doing so, Nova Scotians will be put at a disadvantage if we don’t join the rest of the country in pricing carbon. As our province works to attract and retain young people, we cannot afford to fall behind other provinces by failing to adopt modern climate policy to secure a livable future.
Adopting a carbon price will enable Nova Scotians to provide entrepreneurial solutions to the climate crisis. Done right, it will help spark the industries of tomorrow. A fair carbon pricing mechanism will allow our province to continue to attract talented immigrants and interprovincial migrants. By shifting incentives away from private, fossil fuel-based transport, carbon pricing will promote public and active modes of transportation and develop our urban infrastructure.
Many methods exist for pricing carbon; Fusion Halifax asks our provincial government to pursue the mechanism that works best for Nova Scotians, taking into account our unique economic, cultural and demographic circumstances. Pricing carbon need not be a threat to our provincial economy—in fact, it is an opportunity to generate additional revenue and can be designed in a way that does not disadvantage lower-income Nova Scotians.
As young people, we are repeatedly told that it is up to us to fix the problems that previous generations left behind. We believe it is time to work inter-generationally to take charge of our province’s future. By pricing carbon, Nova Scotia will help Canada meet—and hopefully exceed—its climate targets while ensuring that our own province remains a secure place to live, work and play for generations to come.
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This article appears in Jun 16-22, 2016.
While you’re thinking about carbon pricing, go vegan. See http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts to see all the impacts animal agriculture has on our world and everything in it. All sources cited and linked to scientific publications.
Bravo, Naomi and FUSION Halifax for raising awareness of carbon pricing in Nova Scotia but scoring this article in The Coast. That is a huge boost in the numbers of people who will be exposed to what a good idea a fair price on pollution is of rNova Scotia because if the revenue was returned to the citizens in whole or part, 60% of the five economies quintiles from the lowest income households to the middle income households would come out ahead or break even. The federal government has stated there will be a price on carbon so the more quickly Stephen McNeil stops avoiding this and starts examining the best way to do this for Nova Scotians, the less we will be behind the rest of the world in current strategies of leadership to get us to $150.00/T which is where we have to be asap to avoid a catastrophic four degree temperature rise which is where we are headed now with Stephen Harper’s very weak targets for reduction still in place. At the moment, we are encouraging citizens to write to PM Trudeauand politely request he bring the targets in line with the U.S. and announce this during the State visit by President Obama at the end of June.
IN my post above “but” in line two should be “by”
“economies” in line six should be “economic” (When will I ever learn to edit before I post!
While you are thinking about carbon pricing…. How about “sin taxes” on outdoor patio heaters and residential air conditioners? What about hot tubs… anything else?
No need for sin taxes on those things. The only reason they’re “sinful” is that they consume electricity, but the fact that the owner has to pay for that electricity IS the tax. Price electricity correctly instead of creating a more complicated web of taxes.
[I’m reposting because of typos in the first post]
“Bravo, Naomi and FUSION Halifax for raising awareness of the advantages of carbon pricing in Nova Scotia. This is a huge boost in the numbers of people who will be exposed to what a good idea a fair price on pollution is for Nova Scotia because, if the revenue is returned to the citizens in whole or part, 60% of the population from the lowest income households to the middle income households would come out ahead or break even. The federal government has stated there will be a price on carbon so the more quickly Stephen McNeil stops avoiding this and starts examining the best way to do this for Nova Scotians, the less we will be behind the rest of the world. We need to get to $150.00/T, asap to avoid a catastrophic four degree temperature rise–where we’re headed because Stephen Harper’s very weak targets for reduction are still in place.
Fusion Halifax is definitely leading the way for all of the above to happen. Congratulations to Naomi and her team, it takes courage, compassion and intelligence to lead on this file which has much more resistance in North America than the rest of the world because of the fossil fuel lobby.
You redneck fear mongering climate blame drama queens are Y2K jokes in your kids history books!
Science gave us germ warfare and fracking and only agreed climate change was “real and happening” and NEVER said or agreed a CO2 hell was as real as “smoking causing cancer” and this after 35 years of debate and climate action failure.
Be happy it wasn’t a real crisis and stop fear mongering!