Category Archives: Aldyen Donnelly

Charles Lammam and Niels Veldhuis would have us believe that net tax cuts are in the future for most BC households. But Finance Minister Colin Hansen’s 2010 Budget Fiscal Plan suggests otherwise. Who should we believe?
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There is a conflict between British Columbia’s public revenue requirements as presented in the Province’s official Fiscal Plan and the Premier’s suggestion that BC will proceed with "cap and trade"-type regulation for industrial Greenhouse Gas emissions.

The first table below shows the BC Finance Carbon Tax revenue forecast—and comes directly from Table A9, page 159 of the BC Fiscal Plan, which can be downloaded here.
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National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) indices, all other things being equal, will systemically rank a nation higher (performing better at de-carbonization) if: Continue reading →

After I read the original draft Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting regulations, I phoned US EPA contacts as well as some staff in Senate and House representatives offices and asked: Given that all major US stationary GHG sources and importers of carbon-based energy and building products are required to report GHGs from biomass use and will eventually be liable for domestic production and the US consumer end use GHGs:

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I agree that climate change and national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets should be on the table for discussion at the G8 and G20 meetings.

I am appalled that the EU27’s current commitment is to reduce GHGs only 2.7% from 2005 levels by 2020. By comparison, Canada and the US have committed to cut GHGs 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. 
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A recent article in the Toronto Star, “Time to revisit the dreaded carbon tax” is riddled with some highly inaccurate reporting.

To start, the article says: "Last month, three of the world’s biggest per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases—America, Australia and Canada—put their key environmental pledges on hold until further notice…"
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The carbon prices outlined in this news article are consistent with the idea that high-emitting power generation and industrial facility operators will pay whatever it costs to operate existing plants through the end of their normal, pre-carbon tax, expected lives. If we assume no early plant retirements, the marginal cost of complying with the WCI 2020 target ranges between $30 and $80/TCO2e.  
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(April 15, 2010) Matt Horne of the Pembina Institute suggests that “careful design” will address the many real issues associated with the carbon tax about which Harvey Enchin deftly wrote a week earlier on the OpEd page of the Vancouver … Continue reading →

US regulators appear to be planning/budgeting for a high level of non-compliance with the proposed new CAFE standard. This planned non-compliance will generate significant new tax revenues for the US Treasury. Canadian manufacturers will take a hit, as they’ll account for more than 15% of the new US Treasury revenues from fines.

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A recent letter from Diane Feinstein to John Kerry provides a little insight into what is currently under negotiation for a new US Senate climate change bill.

What I find quite interesting is the frequent reference to California’s vehicle emission standards as "more stringent" than US federal standards.
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