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A motion making its way through city hall to look at retrofitting public buildings to avoid extra carbon tax costs is a smart one.
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Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital), who introduced the motion wants the city to look at how much it would be paying in carbon taxes and then provide a list of up to 15 sites and/or $80 million in retrofit costs.
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This is one way to save taxpayers money in the long run as the carbon tax climbs every year. Plus, it would make buildings more sustainable for the future, which is a plus but of course, many are concerned about costs.
While the city does not have a historical total for how much it has paid in carbon taxes, a spokesperson said this week that Winnipeg can expect to pay up to $2.7 million related to the use of natural gas.
That may seem like a drop in the bucket but over time, it adds up.
Mayes said in an interview this week that if for example, the city would be spending $50 million in carbon taxes, it should work to make buildings more energy efficient.
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“In this sense, the tax is well designed, it’s influencing our behaviour,” Mayes said Monday, adding that there are also moral and environmental reasons to retrofit buildings.
Look, we can whine all day about whether the carbon tax should be there or not. The reality is that it’s here and the cost is only rising. We can argue about whether it’s actually helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that argument is certainly a viable one. (I’ve written about that in the past.)
However, why should we continue letting the federal government dip into our pockets for something we actually can avoid? In a car-centric city like Winnipeg, it’s hard to avoid the tax at the pumps but why not try and avoid it on your heating bill?
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Mayes’ motion is a lesson for the rest of us to actually try to use the carbon tax rebate to invest in energy efficient alternatives. It may cost a little more upfront but in the long run, it could save you some cash.
Better windows, insulation and other upgrades can be made to your home that can help save on energy costs.
I know I said it’s hard to avoid the tax at the pumps but perhaps purchasing a bicycle this summer and taking it for short trips is a way to save a few extra bucks. Or if you want to get radical, take your two-car household and split it in half. It’s not going to work for everyone but surely some households can make it work.
Change is hard, we are creatures of habit, and it certainly won’t be easy. However, adding biking or walking to your routine will also pay dividends in your overall health.
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This in turn may also change your perspective on the city and if enough people make their voices heard, the transit system and bike path network could improve. It’s a positive snowball effect.
Perhaps I’m just a fool who wants to see a vibrant city full of people biking and walking around who all save money on their carbon tax bills.
If you don’t want to change and continue handing over your hard-earned cash to the federal government, that’s fine too. We can whine about it all day long but at the end of that day, Justin Trudeau is laughing all the way to the bank with your carbon taxes.
rstelter@postmedia.com
Twitter: @steltsy94
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"avoid it" - Google News
May 07, 2023 at 10:21PM
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STELTER: Stop fighting the carbon tax and try to avoid it instead - Winnipeg Sun
"avoid it" - Google News
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