PRESS RELEASE: November 13, 2015 Halifax, Nova Scotia: Citizens’ Climate Lobby Halifax, a local group of the international non-profit organization with almost 300 groups worldwide, is meeting with as many MPs as its volunteers can before the seasoned and novice politicians leave for Ottawa. They are recruiting constituents from any ridings to attend these meetings in order to press the point that Canada needs a fair, simple and inexpensive way to price carbon. 90% of Nova Scotians file their income tax at less than the $31,000 bracket so this province can not afford to implement an expensive cap and trade plan provincially. A cap and trade is of no benefit to citizens as it focuses on large corporations who find loopholes to capitalize on the crisis to profit. A B.C. type carbon tax won’t protect the lowest income households such as students and those households who don’t file, of which there are many such persons in Nova Scotia. A revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend (C.F. & D.) to return all the fees collected to each citizen on either an equitable or progressive basis (i.e. those who use more energy get a smaller return than those who use less) is a perfect fit for Nova Scotia. Implementing it federally is good news politically as Dalhousie economist, Dr. Lars Osberg’s new paper, “We All Own the Air” on states. Implementing this simple market signal will catapult Canada to the echelons of world leaders in carbon reduction. Citizens’ Climate Lobby Halifax group leader, Joanne Light says: “It is the perfect reentry for Canada at the Paris Summit. Canada can be the phoenix rising from the ash of Stephen Harper’s focus on avoiding climate change, having burnt all our good faith bridges internationally. We would be the poster child of the Anthropocene age because of the social brilliance of this simple plan which is so easy to implement federally (small business and farm/fishing industries can also receive the dividend as well as citizens; northern residents, greenhouse owners could have special consideration). What better country to shine this light to the world than us to restore their faith that there is a way out of catastrophic consequences–a simple market signal that does not het the lower income households and spares the middle class. It’s the perfect plan for a Justin Trudeau launch on to the world climate stage.” More about Citizens’ Climate Lobby: http://www.citizensclimatelobby.ca/ ######PROVINCIAL CLIMATE ACTIVISTS MEET WITH NOVA SCOTIAN MPs BEFORE THEY LEAVE FOR OTTAWA TO PROMOTE FAIREST WAY TO PRICE CARBON FEDERALLY
Contact: Andy Blair: 902-717-2639
