Happy Birthday Canada

Happy Birthday Canada. Today our country turns 141 and everywhere there were celebrations. In my community there was a parade and general festivities including parties in the park and later tonight, fireworks.

Today is also the day of the new Carbon Tax here in BC. Basically it will cost you an extra 2.5 cents per litre. The news has been reporting that we in BC are fed up and opposed to the tax. To listen to the news or read a newspaper, gas prices are first and foremost on everyone's mind. The opposition party is demonstrating against the tax, and people are crying 'unfair' (actually they are using much stronger language).

Let me just say that in general I am not opposed to the tax. I know that this is an unpopular stand. Don't get me wrong, this along with the increase in food prices, and everything else, is quite frankly, killing my budget and I am being forced to make changes. Some of the changes I was planning to make, others I wasn't, but financially I have no choice but to make some changes. When I talk to other people, financial considerations are a big part of their decision when making positive changes for the environment. One of the women in my book club has recently started hanging her clothes to dry, rather than using the dryer after I pointed out to her not only the environmental benefits, but also the financial benefits. I made similar arguments to another woman when I found out that she left her cell phone charger plugged in, whether she was charging her cell or not. In both cases, it was the financial benefits that prompted and has thus sustained the change. It seems that while we may wish to do things for the environment, if there is a financial incentive to making the change, either the change will happen, or it will happen quicker. Basically, it is my hope that this tax will spur people to conserving, if not for the environment, then for their pocketbooks.