Cap and trade is an…

Cap and trade is an important policy to help combat climate change, and finally "put a price on carbon". Cap and trade uses market logic to account for the environmental externalities involved with resource development/ industry. I believe strongly that Cap and Trade should continue to be endorsed by our provincial government and that in 2018, when the IPOCC is issuing dire warnings around the impact of a 1.5 degree increase in global temperatures by 2050, we need to be ramping up environmental protections, not loosening them. We face an unprecedented challenge in the next 10 to 15 years, to create relatively carbon-neutral societies. Some technological advancements (atmospheric carbon mining) may be able to aid us in this process but ultimately our systems of economics have to change, and that change must come from the political/policy level. For our children, and grandchildren, we need to consider the implications of our actions on this planet and we need to continue to enforce strong climate policy, and that includes cap and trade, as well as carbon taxes, and a transformation in the energy sector.