I am an environmental…

I am an environmental scientist who strongly supports keeping the Cap and Trade carbon system or replacing it with a carbon tax. The literature indicates that either of these methods works if implemented correctly (see attached links). Just like we used a cap and trade system to reduce sulfur pollution and acid rain in the 1980s (under conservative governments), we need to use a system to regulate the market and encourage low-carbon technology. Luckily for us, green technology has come a long way in the last 15 years; thanks to leaders like Germany and China, greener sources of energy are cheaper than ever.

Maria Panezi wrote this in the Financial Post in July: "Ending Ontario’s cap-and-trade will increase business uncertainty and for some businesses will result in a business disadvantage. Businesses know the cap-and-trade system and have planned their operations based on it. Ontario businesses should be the first to object to the plan to switch to the federal system and give up their province’s advantage in Canada’s carbon pricing efforts."

Since the cap and trade system is shown to reduce carbon emissions, which benefits us locally and globally on the short and long term, and since removing it would harm businesses, it seems like a no-brainer to keep it. Yes, there will be some adjustment but that is better than not doing our part to fight climate change.