he Truth About CO2 and the Failure of Carbon Taxes
By Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris
The United Nations and many American and Canadian governments at all levels are increasing or proposing what they call ‘carbon taxes.’ But they are not really taxing carbon, which is, of course, a solid. They are actually taxing carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas.
This is one of the many ways that climate alarmists have distorted the language of the debate to frighten the public and discourage critical thinking. After all, if they called it a carbon dioxide tax, many people would remember from grade school that CO2 is an invisible, benign, trace gas essential for plant photosynthesis. Calling it ‘carbon’ conjures up subconscious images of something dark and dangerous, like soot, which really is carbon.
Regardless, science and empirical evidence show none of these so-called carbon taxes are in any way necessary since there is no need to reduce CO2 emissions. It is not causing global warming or climate change and it is certainly not pollution. It is, pure and simple, a tax grab that increases the cost of living and is especially hard on the poor.
Here are some basic facts about CO2:
· It is only 4% of the so-called greenhouse gases; water vapor (H2O) is 95%.
· The human contribution of CO2 to the atmosphere is only 3.4% of the total CO2 in the atmosphere.
· The range of atmospheric CO2 in the last 600 million years is from a high of 7000 parts per million (ppm) to a low of 270 ppm 120 years ago.
· CO2 is essential for plant life on the planet. They are most efficient at 1200 ppm, the average level for the last 250 million years. At current levels (about 400 ppm) plants are malnourished.
· The only place where CO2 increase causes a temperature increase is in the computer models which are built with the assumption that CO2 drives warming. Records of real-world observational data show that temperature increases before CO2 increases. Not surprisingly, all official climate model predictions since 1990 have been wrong. Yet governments cite these models as substantiation for severe actions to ‘fight climate change.’
Despite all this, governments push ahead with carbon tax plans. The British Columbia provincial government implemented North America’s first carbon tax, applicable to transportation, home heating and electricity. It was created through a Climate Action Committee (CAC) that produced a Climate Action Plan. That plan is now 10 years old so the results are instructive, indeed a warning, to other governments with similar ideas.
The plan failed to meet its basic objectives to reduce CO2 emissions. It claimed a reduction in Refined Petroleum Product used, but that was already declining 4 years before the tax. The continued reduction after the tax was introduced was not because of reduced mileage driven.
The huge, real cost of the BC tax, especially for the poor, was analyzed in detail by Willis Eschenbach in an article titled “Why Revenue Neutral isn’t, and Other Costs of the BC Tax.” The bureaucratic costs of collecting and redistributing the money means there is a net cost to society. Any tax costs one segment of society even if another segment benefits. It is simply a government-imposed redistribution of wealth. And for what? Eschenbach found, “both total and per-capita road fuel (diesel plus gasoline) [consumption] have increased since the [BC] tax was passed.”
In 2016 Canada produced 1.71% of world CO2 production. Consequently, any reductions Canada makes are of no consequence to world production. China and other developing countries are building hundreds of coal plants, with consequent soaring CO2 production, and show no signs of slowing down. They know that alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power have no chance of satisfying their skyrocketing energy needs.
By promoting carbon taxes, politicians from developed countries are sticking their fingers in the taxpayer’s eye. There is no scientific, economic, or financial justification, yet the consequences are devastating as the cost of living will soar and economies collapse because they will not be able to compete with more sensible nations which eschew the tax. This is the fate that awaits all jurisdictions that introduce Green Agendas that include subsidies to alternate energies, regulations to reduce CO2 emissions, and monetary devices, such as a carbon tax.
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Dr. Tim Ball is an environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Tom Harris is executive director of the Ottawa, Canada-based International Climate Science Coalition.
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Dozens of families with Camp K to attend Christmas in Color Thursday
South Jordan, Utah – December 1, 2018 - This holiday season Christmas in Color is shining its lights on a worthy cause.
The popular Utah-based holiday attraction is teaming up with Camp Kostopulos to raise money and awareness for the nonprofit organization. Camp K provides summer camps, community-based programs and recreational and educational opportunities for people of all abilities.
Dozens of families who have benefited from Camp K’s services will get the chance to go through Christmas in Color’s South Jordan location free of charge Thursday.
“Christmas in Color is truly great for people of all abilities,” said Todd Glover, CEO of Christmas in Color, “It’s a way for families to make magical holiday memories without ever leaving the comfort of their car, and we are so grateful to offer this experience to the families served through Camp K.”
In addition, Christmas in Color is donating a portion of the proceeds from all tickets sales to Camp K. Guests can also make a monetary donation online when they purchase tickets or donate at the gate when they arrive.
“Every year we look forward to the holiday season, which is the season of giving, and all of us at Camp K are grateful to all those that support our mission of inclusion of people with disabilities and medical needs,” said Mircea Divricean President and CEO of Kostopulos Dream Foundation, “We are very grateful to Christmas in Color for choosing Camp K for support this season, as they will help us push our mission forward and bring joy, hope and love into the lives of those we serve.”
Animated Color, the company behind the elaborate drive-through Christmas light displays has locations in Provo and South Jordan this year. The company has partnered with nonprofit organizations and children’s charities since its inception. The first light show ever designed by founder, Richard Holdman, at his house in Utah was created to raise money for a children’s charity.
About Camp K: Camp K is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people of all abilities through education, recreation, and growth opportunities.
About Christmas in Color: Christmas in Color is a mile-long drive-through lighting display fully animated and sharply synchronized to upbeat holiday music.
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Photo and B-roll opportunities will take place at 5:45 p.m. at the Equestrian Center on the corner of 11400 S and 2200 W in South Jordan. Interviews include Mircea Divricean, Camp K Executive Director; Christmas in Color spokesperson; and a Camp K family.
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Half of all Americans are drinkers and 16 million are addicted to alcohol, so it’s no wonder that cutting back on alcohol is a popular New Year’s resolution. And inevitably many of those resolutions will be broken before the end of Dry January. For recovering alcoholic John Collopy, it’s an all too familiar pattern he’s seen time and time again. “I believe you can quit drinking without help, but I don’t believe you can get better without help.” A successful businessman, Collopy has written an insightful book about his own journey and why he advocates therapy to aid in successful recovery.
About John Collopy
John Collopy is the owner and broker of RE/MAX Results and its subsequent thirty-six offices across Minnesota and Wisconsin. With annual sales over $5.3 billion, RE/MAX Results is now one of the largest RE/MAX franchises in the world. John currently lives in Minnesota with his wife and children. He is the author of The Reward of Knowing.
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2018 SMALL GRAIN COUNTY ESTIMATES
County-level estimates for 2018 small grains are now available, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The estimates, based primarily on surveys conducted with farmers and ranchers this fall, can be accessed using the QuickStats online database, found here: http://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/.
The commodity estimates include spring wheat, Durum wheat, winter wheat, barley, and oats. County-level estimates for late-season crops and hay will be published in February and April 2019, respectively.
For state specific questions please contact:
Arizona – Dave DeWalt 1-800-645-7286 Colorado – William R. Meyer 1-800-392-3202 Montana – Eric Sommer 1-800-835-2612 New Mexico – Longino Bustillos 1-800-530-8810 Utah – John Hilton 1-800-747-8522 Wyoming – Rhonda Brandt 1-800-892-1660
