Cap and Trade is the best…

Cap and Trade is the best possible solution for both the environment and for taxpayers. I’ve known about and advocated for cap and trade for 15 years, and it works. It uses market forces to drive innovation instead of ineffective and expensive bureaucracy, and understands the fundamental forces that drive businesses to do better.
Canadians for Clean Prosperity, a nonpartisan think tank led by Conservative Mark Cameron, ex-policy director of Stephen Harper, performed a study that showed that it put MORE money in the pocket of the taxpayer, so even though I am not conservative, I think this shows both sides of the aisle that cap and trade is something we can agree on. It’s environmentally friendly, taxpayer friendly policy, and it just makes sense. We need our citizens to be safe and healthy for years to come, or we will be facing rising sea levels that will obliterate cities near water, and the refugee crises that will come along with this; the death of our farms from drought, weather changes, and destruction of ecosystems; more extinctions of animal populations that we will never get back (that will make our animal and human populations even more vulnerable to disease and famine); more extreme weather events like the destructive ice storm and tornados we have seen; and increased health problems from pollution that will strain our health system even more than it already is.
Even if there was a cost to the taxpayer, I would say that it would be worth it to every taxpayer to protect their future and their children’s future. I don’t want my world to be destroyed and in turmoil by the time I grow old. This affects even my future, as well as a more distant future that I have a responsibility for.
But the AMAZING thing about cap and trade is that it puts MORE money in my pocket, it’s not more expensive or even fiscally neutral for me. And it can be profitable or fiscally neutral for businesses too if they invest in reducing their carbon footprint and innovate to create green technologies. Driving innovation will be good for our province’s business and job growth.
This is a win-win-win situation for taxpayers, government, and businesses. This is the best possible solution. Please keep Cap and Trade.