NYCshopper
03-20-2007, 06:21 PM
Federal budget (Canada) hammers gas-guzzlers -Via NEW Tax "Up to $4,000"
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/070319/g031908A.html
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/070319/g031908A.jpg
OTTAWA (CP) - Gas guzzlers will be dinged with a new tax of up to $4,000, fuel-efficient cars will get a rebate worth up to $2,000 and old wrecks will be offered a short-cut to the junkyard, under Monday's federal budget.
The new tax treatment for cars is among $4.5-billion worth of environment-related measures in Monday's budget, but critics say there's no overall plan to deal with climate change.
Some measures have already been announced, such as the $1.5 billion for the ecoTrust fund to help provinces pursue their green objectives. It will support a variety of projects ranging from the east-west energy grid between Ontario and Manitoba to the replacement of incandescent bulbs in Nunavut.
A $1.5-billion commitment for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel will be popular with farmers but environmentalists are less enthusiastic. They say biofuels like corn-based ethanol bring no net reduction in greenhouse gases once the energy used in farming has been taken into account.
The budget provides $250 million to conserve ecologically important lands and implement the Species at Risk Act, a move sure to be applauded by conservation groups. It is widely acknowledged that the legislation has so far failed to protect critical habitat for endangered species.
There's more than $400 million for a national water strategy, which provides cleanup money for the Great Lakes, Lake Simcoe and Lake Winnipeg as well as support for coastal cities to stop dumping raw sewage into the ocean.
Aaron Freeman of Environmental Defence praised the water strategy but said the funding is small, especially considering that $324 million will go for six new Coast Guard vessels, which he argued should not be considered an environmental expenditure.
A much-criticized tax break for oil sands projects, the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance, will be phased out. The break will be left in place for two years, so projects already in the ground or soon to be announced won't be affected.
The budget does not mention the Kyoto Protocol, and environmentalists say it doesn't provide the "massive scale-up" in action to combat climate change recommended by former environment commissioner Johanne Gelinas in her last report.
"The government is basically ignoring the climate crisis," said John Bennett of the Climate Action Network.
Stephen Guilbeault of Greenpeace said the budget basically revives Liberal programs that were cut last year. "We're no better off than we were in 2004 and we've lost two precious years. There's no upscaling of anything."
The boldest initiative is probably the system of car rebates and taxes, which unabashedly uses the tax system to influence consumer behaviour, something that environmentalists have long advocated.
Although most provinces have rebate programs for fuel-efficient cars, only Ontario has a tax on gas guzzlers. The federal Liberals never dared to implement such a system although it was carefully considered. It will likely meet fierce disapproval from the Ontario-based auto industry.
The price tag for a Hummer or a Jeep Grand Cherokee will go up by $4,000, while vehicles like the GMC Yukon, the Volkswagen Sequoia and Ford Durango could see a green levy of $2,000 per vehicle.
Vehicles eligible for a $2,000 rebate include the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Ford Escape HEV 4x4. There would be $1,000 discounts for the Toyota Corolla, Mini Cooper M6, Jeep Patriot and Chevrolet Impala.
Finance Department officials say the rebates and levies will basically cancel each other out, leaving the government with the same amount of revenue as before. But they acknowledge there are no studies to prove that the tax changes will actually influence buying patterns.
The program to scrap high-polluting older vehicles will be built on efforts of non-government organizations in a number of provinces. Federal officials say details are still being worked out, but car-owners will get some type of incentive for scrapping junkers.
Overall the budget is weak in addressing climate change, said Freeman of Environmental Defence. But that can be accomplished through regulatory measures that don't require more spending, he added.
The government is expected soon to announce regulations requiring heavy industry to reduce its greenhouse emissions.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/070319/g031908A.html
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/070319/g031908A.jpg
OTTAWA (CP) - Gas guzzlers will be dinged with a new tax of up to $4,000, fuel-efficient cars will get a rebate worth up to $2,000 and old wrecks will be offered a short-cut to the junkyard, under Monday's federal budget.
The new tax treatment for cars is among $4.5-billion worth of environment-related measures in Monday's budget, but critics say there's no overall plan to deal with climate change.
Some measures have already been announced, such as the $1.5 billion for the ecoTrust fund to help provinces pursue their green objectives. It will support a variety of projects ranging from the east-west energy grid between Ontario and Manitoba to the replacement of incandescent bulbs in Nunavut.
A $1.5-billion commitment for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel will be popular with farmers but environmentalists are less enthusiastic. They say biofuels like corn-based ethanol bring no net reduction in greenhouse gases once the energy used in farming has been taken into account.
The budget provides $250 million to conserve ecologically important lands and implement the Species at Risk Act, a move sure to be applauded by conservation groups. It is widely acknowledged that the legislation has so far failed to protect critical habitat for endangered species.
There's more than $400 million for a national water strategy, which provides cleanup money for the Great Lakes, Lake Simcoe and Lake Winnipeg as well as support for coastal cities to stop dumping raw sewage into the ocean.
Aaron Freeman of Environmental Defence praised the water strategy but said the funding is small, especially considering that $324 million will go for six new Coast Guard vessels, which he argued should not be considered an environmental expenditure.
A much-criticized tax break for oil sands projects, the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance, will be phased out. The break will be left in place for two years, so projects already in the ground or soon to be announced won't be affected.
The budget does not mention the Kyoto Protocol, and environmentalists say it doesn't provide the "massive scale-up" in action to combat climate change recommended by former environment commissioner Johanne Gelinas in her last report.
"The government is basically ignoring the climate crisis," said John Bennett of the Climate Action Network.
Stephen Guilbeault of Greenpeace said the budget basically revives Liberal programs that were cut last year. "We're no better off than we were in 2004 and we've lost two precious years. There's no upscaling of anything."
The boldest initiative is probably the system of car rebates and taxes, which unabashedly uses the tax system to influence consumer behaviour, something that environmentalists have long advocated.
Although most provinces have rebate programs for fuel-efficient cars, only Ontario has a tax on gas guzzlers. The federal Liberals never dared to implement such a system although it was carefully considered. It will likely meet fierce disapproval from the Ontario-based auto industry.
The price tag for a Hummer or a Jeep Grand Cherokee will go up by $4,000, while vehicles like the GMC Yukon, the Volkswagen Sequoia and Ford Durango could see a green levy of $2,000 per vehicle.
Vehicles eligible for a $2,000 rebate include the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Ford Escape HEV 4x4. There would be $1,000 discounts for the Toyota Corolla, Mini Cooper M6, Jeep Patriot and Chevrolet Impala.
Finance Department officials say the rebates and levies will basically cancel each other out, leaving the government with the same amount of revenue as before. But they acknowledge there are no studies to prove that the tax changes will actually influence buying patterns.
The program to scrap high-polluting older vehicles will be built on efforts of non-government organizations in a number of provinces. Federal officials say details are still being worked out, but car-owners will get some type of incentive for scrapping junkers.
Overall the budget is weak in addressing climate change, said Freeman of Environmental Defence. But that can be accomplished through regulatory measures that don't require more spending, he added.
The government is expected soon to announce regulations requiring heavy industry to reduce its greenhouse emissions.