Planned tax will not significantly offset predicted future global warming.
oilsands
The Alberta government plans to cap greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the province at 100 megatonnes (Mt) annually.
Sustained program spending growth by successive governments is the primary reason for the big deficits.
The Notley government is spinning like mad to distance itself from some painful numbers.
As oil royalties have fallen, Albertans have endured multiple tax hikes and a S&P downgrade.
The new tax scheme will cost a family of four about $338 extra in 2017.
The Council managed to cobble together a very scary scenario. However, in doing so, they committed errors of omission and commission that render their report essentially meaningless.
Even if oil prices came roaring back, many environmentalists would not allow any additional growth in oilsand development.
The government of Alberta has released its Climate Leadership Discussion Document, which is supposed to inform citizens about climate change and prepare them for a public opinion survey on the subject.
When we talk about energy policy here in Canada, whether provincial or national, the discussion usually revolves around investment, jobs, revenues, and the environment. That's generally been the terms of discussion on the recently killed Northern Gateway pipeline: who'll get the money, who'll get the jobs, and who'll bear the risk. But there's another dimension to energy policy that is often left out of the discussion, which is the idea of energy security, not only for Canada, but for the world as a whole. And decisions like Northern Gateway do little to add to Canada's energy security.