Flouting the law

"Laws" are imposed rules. The laws of nature have been in force for quite a long time, it would appear. They need to be understood and "followed" by all beings, including humans. They cannot to be flouted, not on the long run. Think gravity.

Think excess carbon dioxide and other green house gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Upset the balance and there are consequences. That’s nature’s law.

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We Need a Carbon Tax, We Need PROGRESSIVE Conservatives

Last week the Trudeau government announced that it would continue to increase the carbon tax as a strategy for reducing the Canadian contribution to Greenhouse Gases and thus to climate change. This was long overdue. Anyone with any interest in sustainable living, must know that the prime purpose of the carbon tax is not to raise tax revenue, but to change habits – to change our lifestyle.

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Surge Capacity – Who Should Pay for it

I recall hearing about surge capacity several years ago for the first time. Flu season was approaching. The concern, then, was that our hospitals might not have the surge capacity to handle all the flu cases, were the flu season to develop as some feared.

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Deficit Spending and Austerity

Many readers of this column will remember 1994-1996 when Paul Martin, as minister of finance inherited a significant deficit. He made it his priority to eliminate this deficit. To do that he had two options: increase taxes or austerity, (cut program spending). He chose austerity. He made huge budget cuts and economic growth decreased by 3.5%. Many of us remember the effect this had on our health care programs. By choosing austerity over increased taxes, the inevitable result was a budget balanced on the backs of the low-income sector rather than on the high-income sector.

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The Pandemic: An Opportunity to Reset

In this column we have rarely responded to the content of columns prepared by local politicians, nevertheless, issues raised by Mr. Falk in his column last week are very relevant to the core of “Rethinking Lifestyle” as seen by the South Eastman Transition Initiative. This has prompted me to give another perspective on remarks Justin Trudeau made at the UN in September.

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