BC: Pacific Carbon Trust Costs Add Up

[Locutus]

To better understand the magnitude of the Pacific Carbon Trust’s drain on taxpayers, classrooms and operating rooms, I’ve done some number crunching.

Universities and colleges in B.C. spent $4,457,796 ($3,980,175 plus HST) on carbon credits in 2011.

Here’s what the Health Authorities spent on carbon credits in 2011 (Total cost to all health care providers: $6,481,216—that’s $5,786,800 plus HST):

• Fraser Health Authority $1,146,712 ($1,023,850 plus HST)
• Interior Health Authority $1,236,157 ($1,103,175 plus HST)
• Northern Health Authority $690,872 ($616,850 plus HST)
• Provincial Health Services Authority $654,836 ($584,675 plus HST))
• Vancouver Coastal Health Authority $1,317,064 ($1,175,950 plus HST)
• Vancouver Island Health Authority $978,488 ($873,650 plus HST)

School Districts across B.C. spent $5,357,408 ($4,783,400 plus HST) for carbon credits. Some raw numbers:


more


BC: Pacific Carbon Trust Costs Add Up | Canadian Taxpayers Federation


h/t sda

 

[petros]

There has never been a Pacific that I've EVER trusted.

 

[coldstream]

I was completely unaware of that.

Isn't it a Constitutional privilege of the Federal government to administer ALL international treaties, like Kyoto.. which means provincial governments should not be funding 'obligations' in federal jurisdiction with taxpayer money.. especially if the feds have completely withdrawn from that accord.

Everything around AGW, Kyoto.. all of its tentacles.. are just so.. ICKY. It's like some tapeworm has parked itself in our innards.. and is just sucking our life blood.

It's just an enormous waste of money, thrown at a non-existent problem.

 

[damngrumpy]

The whole concept is little more than a cruel joke. The environmental movement
went from raising our awareness to collecting as much money as possible
Not only is this nonsense going on, in BC we have a carbon tax, and an overall
environmental tax which has no connection to the environment at all.
First the carbon tax on fuel is a screw job for general revenue thought up by the
Great Gordon Campbell who found more ways to shaft people than any Premier
before him.
Then we have this environmental tax or punishment for buying anything electrical
or things like oil for your car. It also goes to general revenue.
Now our institutions are buying into carbon credits and enough I say. I don't
agree with Harper on almost anything but at least he stood up for the west on this
one, We need refineries, we need industrial development and we need the jobs
that go with it. China and India don't give a hoot about our simplistic idea that we
are going to save the world because they deal in the real world.
Want to bring real change to India and China? Make it a government law that we
will not purchase or import one more item until they actually clean up their mess.
Won't happen because the companies are ours and they get to skit the rules.
We load up our TV waste products and have them scavenged in unsafe conditions
All these programs are rip offs at our expense.

 

[petros]

Jacking off the dog to feed the cat.

 

[beaker]

To better understand the magnitude of the Pacific Carbon Trust’s drain on taxpayers, classrooms and operating rooms, I’ve done some number crunching.

Universities and colleges in B.C. spent $4,457,796 ($3,980,175 plus HST) on carbon credits in 2011.

Here’s what the Health Authorities spent on carbon credits in 2011 (Total cost to all health care providers: $6,481,216—that’s $5,786,800 plus HST):

• Fraser Health Authority $1,146,712 ($1,023,850 plus HST)
• Interior Health Authority $1,236,157 ($1,103,175 plus HST)
• Northern Health Authority $690,872 ($616,850 plus HST)
• Provincial Health Services Authority $654,836 ($584,675 plus HST))
• Vancouver Coastal Health Authority $1,317,064 ($1,175,950 plus HST)
• Vancouver Island Health Authority $978,488 ($873,650 plus HST)

School Districts across B.C. spent $5,357,408 ($4,783,400 plus HST) for carbon credits. Some raw numbers:

more
BC: Pacific Carbon Trust Costs Add Up | Canadian Taxpayers Federationh/t sda

I think that it is a crime that our provincial Liberals have decided to rip people off in this way. To take that amount of money and dump it into General Revenue to be used to buy just about anything but what it was designed to do is a cynical assault on taxpayers, and the environment. Let's hope the next government has the foresight to allocate it in areas where it will accomplish its purpose. Which is to encourage people to cut back on carbon emissions and encourage cleaner energy forms.

It is a lot of money, health care chips in $6,481,216, But health cares budget for this year is 17,970,000,000, give or take, so the percent allocated to covering health care impact, their carbon footprint is about 1/3 of 1/10th of one percent. I don't expect that realistically that covers much of the Health Authorities carbon emmissions. Education is a similar story, $4,457,796 + $5,357,408,. or roughly $10 million. The education budget for the province is about, $11,761,000,000. So school budgets have been increased by 1/10 of one percent to accomodate the emissions from all the schools and colleges, all the buses, all the paper production, etc.

Still between them there is about 18 million that could actually go towards fighting climate change, it isn't, but it is up to us to hold the government accountable after all is said.

 

[petros]

Are you disappointed by yet another scam?

 

[beaker]

Are you disappointed by yet another scam?

Nope, I've seen enough of this liberal/conservative/socred coalition to have been expecting this kind of BS ever since I first heard of Cambells grand plan to deal with the serious problem of Anthropgenic Global Warming.

 

[petros]

All the parties are in on the scam. How many more scams will it take for it to sink in that you're being ****ed over?

 

[Cabbagesandking]

I was completely unaware of that.

Isn't it a Constitutional privilege of the Federal government to administer ALL international treaties, like Kyoto.. which means provincial governments should not be funding 'obligations' in federal jurisdiction with taxpayer money.. especially if the feds have completely withdrawn from that accord.

Everything around AGW, Kyoto.. all of its tentacles.. are just so.. ICKY. It's like some tapeworm has parked itself in our innards.. and is just sucking our life blood.

It's just an enormous waste of money, thrown at a non-existent problem.

Any government can spend the money on any way it wants provided that is not for illegal purposes.

To the point of this, if those institutions cannot yet reduce their emissions, then what alternative is there to buying carbon credits?

In spite of the pig ignorance of those above who contend that Global Warming is not happening or is not a problem, it remains the greatest threat man has ever faced: greater than any threat of a nuclear holocaust. The big difference is that you would be afraid of the physical pain you would suffer yourselves in the nuclear event. It is your grandchildren who will suffer from the Warming


As for Health authorities buying credits, think of all the health problems that will be alleviated or prevented by the reduction in emissions that would achieve.

 

[petros]

it remains the greatest threat man has ever faced: greater than any threat of a nuclear holocaust. .

Bigger than small pox?

 

[damngrumpy]

Of course you are right, because ethics don't count anymore, Petros is right about
being surprised by another scam. The HST was a scam too, it was to overcome
a deficit that was twice as much as they were saying it was.
This current Government which is Liberal in name only, is really a coalition supported
by Harper. You heard me a coalition supported by Harper.
We all know how much he's against coalitions.
I hope Dix does a better job and does not go down the same road as the other NDP
governments have done. If he continues to think in terms of fiscal management like
Manitoba and sound government like Saskatchewan I will feel somewhat better.
Should he behave like others in BC from various parties I will be saying here we go
again.
I think Dix is capable of doing the job, whether he does the job or not we'll have to
wait and see. I have all but decided to support him for a couple of reasons.

1 The BC Liberals have spoken their last lie in the minds of the people
2 The BC Conservatives are social conservatives and that does not sit
well with me. Fiscal conservatives are one thing social conservatives
I won't even consider.
General Revenue has become its own slush fund and that is a major problem for
this Province.

 

[Cabbagesandking]

Bigger than small pox?

A thousand times bigger tha smallpox.

 

[beaker]

All the parties are in on the scam. How many more scams will it take for it to sink in that you're being ****ed over?

The thing is, that "it", being AGW, isn't a scam. If governments with no sense of morality, or responsibility for their actions sift the money raised to fight AGW into general revenue that is a scam. And once again, it is us who have to hold them accountable. I think here in BC at least we will lose this party. If the next government has the same ethical problems sooner or later it will catch up with them too. As to whether or not I think governments, fed, provincial, and international are ****ing me over, I think they are often used by multinationals to achieve their ends at all of our, and our grandkids expense.

 

[Cabbagesandking]

Of course you are right, because ethics don't count anymore, Petros is right about
being surprised by another scam. The HST was a scam too, it was to overcome
a deficit that was twice as much as they were saying it was.
This current Government which is Liberal in name only, is really a coalition supported
by Harper. You heard me a coalition supported by Harper.
We all know how much he's against coalitions.
I hope Dix does a better job and does not go down the same road as the other NDP
governments have done. If he continues to think in terms of fiscal management like
Manitoba and sound government like Saskatchewan I will feel somewhat better.
Should he behave like others in BC from various parties I will be saying here we go
again.
I think Dix is capable of doing the job, whether he does the job or not we'll have to
wait and see. I have all but decided to support him for a couple of reasons.

1 The BC Liberals have spoken their last lie in the minds of the people
2 The BC Conservatives are social conservatives and that does not sit
well with me. Fiscal conservatives are one thing social conservatives
I won't even consider.
General Revenue has become its own slush fund and that is a major problem for
this Province.

I don't see what you party analysis has to do with buying carbon credits other than to avoid the issue. Emotional cries of scam are worn out. Carbon credits are one way of hurrying up the action: of responding to that most urgent need. That these groups need to buy credits is a telling condemnation of the federal government and its laissez faire approach even to survival.

 

[DaSleeper]

Coming to all of Canada, should the NDP ever get a majority......

 

[petros]

A thousand times bigger tha smallpox.

You think so? Got numbers?

Carbon credits are one way of hurrying up the action: of responding to that most urgent need. That these groups need to buy credits is a telling condemnation of the federal government and its laissez faire approach even to survival.

Are you serious? You're THAT brainwashed?

 

[JLM]

Of course you are right, because ethics don't count anymore, Petros is right about
being surprised by another scam. The HST was a scam too, it was to overcome
a deficit that was twice as much as they were saying it was.
This current Government which is Liberal in name only, is really a coalition supported
by Harper. You heard me a coalition supported by Harper.
We all know how much he's against coalitions.
I hope Dix does a better job and does not go down the same road as the other NDP
governments have done. If he continues to think in terms of fiscal management like
Manitoba and sound government like Saskatchewan I will feel somewhat better.
Should he behave like others in BC from various parties I will be saying here we go
again.
I think Dix is capable of doing the job, whether he does the job or not we'll have to
wait and see. I have all but decided to support him for a couple of reasons.

1 The BC Liberals have spoken their last lie in the minds of the people
2 The BC Conservatives are social conservatives and that does not sit
well with me. Fiscal conservatives are one thing social conservatives
I won't even consider.
General Revenue has become its own slush fund and that is a major problem for
this Province.

I'm betting Dix succumbs to the demands of the likes of Jim Sinclair, driving our debt further into the red!

 

[TenPenny]

I think the whole idea of carbon credits is brilliant. You convince people (mostly gov't agencies) to pay you for something completely intangible. Of course, it's the middle men who make a percentage for shuffling money around.

It's even better than sub prime mortgages. In the case of mortgages, there was something at the bottom. In the case of carbon credits, it's complete hocus pocus, and people have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

I was actually thinking of starting up a carbon credit exchange, you could pay me money, and I'll give you a piece of paper that says you've bought x tons of carbon credits. If I do nothing more than take your money, what's the problem? You've simply bought a piece of paper. Should make you happy, and that's what it's all about.

 

[beaker]

I think the whole idea of carbon credits is brilliant. You convince people (mostly gov't agencies) to pay you for something completely intangible. Of course, it's the middle men who make a percentage for shuffling money around.

It's even better than sub prime mortgages. In the case of mortgages, there was something at the bottom. In the case of carbon credits, it's complete hocus pocus, and people have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

I was actually thinking of starting up a carbon credit exchange, you could pay me money, and I'll give you a piece of paper that says you've bought x tons of carbon credits. If I do nothing more than take your money, what's the problem? You've simply bought a piece of paper. Should make you happy, and that's what it's all about.

Let's all do it, we'll all get rich! Except of course that there is verification of carbon sequestered, saved, exchanged. Trees grow at a measurable rate, industries that conserve energy and thereby carbon emissions must have that verified. These things aren't new, the lawyers have gotten involved. darn it but once again we are to late for the killing.