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 Doing our part to help the environment(March 2008) By Gary Kroeker, Business Manager There are still people who try to dismiss news of that last environmental disaster as a freak occurrence and nothing to worry about, but the signs are there. The ice caps are melting much more quickly than initially predicted. There’s no doubt that we are in the midst of climate change. Even without all the scientific evidence, we can see it and feel it. What will the world look like for our grandchildren and great grandchildren if we do nothing about rising CO2 emissions? Will they have to leave the lowlands and become mountain dwellers? If we continue on the current path, we can expect to see: • greater drought and reduced agriculture • greater losses of productivity from forests and fisheries • property damage from storms, floods, wildfires and rises in sea levels • escalating losses of plant and animal species We can expect a 5% drop in the GDP per year unless we slow the rate of global warming. Something must be done to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. We have to think about the long-term implications of everything we do. The future depends on finding that balance between building the economy, creating and maintaining jobs and ensuring a sustainable future. Each one of us must take responsibility for cutting our dependence on goods that produce CO2. It is just as important that developing world countries like China and India recognize how urgent this issue is. They must get on board or all our efforts will be in vain. It seems everyone is talking about the environment and changes are coming quickly. The transition to more environmentally sustainable materials and practices is affecting the work of many of our members in all industries. It’s gratifying to know that some of our members are working at Hiway Fuels, suppliers of bio-fuel. As we make the switch to alternative energy sources we can expect to see many more examples of people in the building trades working in ways and on projects that ensure a healthy future for our planet. What is the role of government in leading these changes? What is the responsibility of corporations and business? There’s been a lot of talk about a carbon tax. The idea is that if you make it more expensive to burn carbon, less will be burned. And if you tax carbon producers, you can use those funds to repair the damage to the environment. Economists estimate the current social cost at $12 per tonne of carbon dioxide produced. One of the problems with imposing carbon taxes is that they impact rich and poor people equally. Everyone pays the same rate. However, the added burden on poor people could be addressed with tax rebates. Carbon taxes can go two ways. The new tax revenue can be used to invest in clean energy technology, revitalize manufacturing communities and create new jobs. On the other hand, they can provoke corporations to move their operations to other countries with lower standards. Cheap labour and relaxed regulations in developing countries would result in job losses in North America and Europe and higher global emissions. The way around this is to ensure that all material imported into these countries meets the same standard for carbon footprints as goods produced domestically, or require producers to pay a carbon tax. Unions have a role to play. The B.C. Building and Construction Trades Council is part of a labour/environmental alliance that is calling on governments to reduce carbon emissions, support more alternative energy sources and create new clean energy jobs. |
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