Overstating or misrepresenting the case in opposition to the oil and gasoline emissions cap dangers undermining the marketing campaign and, by extension, the trigger
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In assessing the deserves of Alberta’s new “Scrap the Cap” marketing campaign, it’s helpful to first think about whether or not the federal government’s goal is definitely to scrap the cap.
In spite of everything, if the goal is to easily display to a sure political viewers this authorities’s willingness to face as much as Ottawa, then the deserves or effectiveness of the marketing campaign itself don’t matter all that a lot. Measuring its success turns into a a lot completely different calculation.
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But when that is certainly a real try to persuade Ottawa to desert its proposed oil and gasoline emissions cap — and within the course of, persuade different Canadians to help this trigger — then it’s affordable to scrutinize and critique this technique.
Make no mistake, Alberta is true to be involved in regards to the potential impact of this coverage. We’re nonetheless awaiting ultimate particulars on how and when this is able to be carried out, however there are credible analyses which have concluded the probability of great financial hurt is sort of excessive.
Moreover, a sector-specific emissions cap represents a pricey and inefficient method to decreasing emissions and flies within the face of the federal government’s most well-liked method of pricing carbon emissions regardless of their supply.
The case in opposition to coverage is subsequently each simple and compelling. Nevertheless, overstating or misrepresenting that case dangers undermining the marketing campaign and, by extension, the trigger. Sadly, the early returns on this marketing campaign would point out that the province is responsible of veering recklessly into the latter territory.
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Initially, the web site for the Scrap the Cap marketing campaign (and one thing echoed in a lot of the rhetoric on the marketing campaign launch) doesn’t even discuss with this as an emissions cap, however relatively an “vitality manufacturing cap.” It’s potential, relying on how that is carried out, that assembly sure targets by a sure date may imply scaling again some manufacturing. However it’s disingenuous to border a potential consequence of this coverage as its said goal.
Such an method isn’t useful, particularly if this marketing campaign is about profitable hearts and minds. The identical objection will be levelled at one other central theme of the marketing campaign: the declare that it’ll improve the value of groceries. For all of the legitimate critiques of the cap, this isn’t a declare that had beforehand been made neither is it a declare that follows any logic. Even in a state of affairs the place oil and gasoline manufacturing is curbed, that’s not going to have an effect on world oil costs and definitely not going to boost these costs.
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When pressed about this, Premier Danielle Smith famous that if jobs vanish and wages are suppressed, affording groceries may show to be more difficult. That is certainly potential, nevertheless it’s a really completely different type of declare. Because it stands, the deceptive declare continues to be entrance and centre on the web site that the Alberta authorities is spending hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to advertise.
There’s actually the potential for Alberta and Ottawa to work collectively on emissions-reduction methods, corresponding to reducing oil and gasoline methane emissions. There’s additionally a number of room for co-operation with regards to furthering emissions-reduction know-how, corresponding to carbon seize, utilization and storage (CCUS). In spite of everything, the province nonetheless claims to aspire to carbon neutrality by 2050 and clearly it doesn’t intend to cap manufacturing. So whereas the proposed emissions cap could also be impractical, what’s the plan for ensuring the 2050 goal is achievable?
This may occasionally all be a moot level if and when the federal Liberals are voted out of workplace. For as a lot because the premier has warned a few lame-duck Liberal authorities ramming via all kinds of recent insurance policies to tie their successors’ arms, it might be fairly easy — and under no circumstances shocking — for a Conservative authorities to easily abandon the emissions cap.
Nonetheless, although, it might be helpful for the Alberta authorities to keep up some credibility on this matter.
To date, we’re not off to a terrific begin.
“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays from 12:30 to three p.m. on QR Calgary Radio
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