Carbon Tax - Good or Bad?

I think we all want to improve the way we treat the environment. How far will we go to ensure that we are doing all we can? On July 1st, BC will be adding an extra 2.4 cents per litre of gas at the pumps as part of introducing its new carbon tax. The carbon tax will also apply to virtually all fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, propane, and home heating fuel. This is an attempt to create a “greener budget for 2008” which would see consumers paying for their carbon use. Laura Jones, vice-president at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business stated that, "We know from our surveys that over 80 per cent of business owners are already taking action to get cleaner." By putting a price on carbon, people will theoretically use less, thus helping reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change. Is taxing people as a way to enforce more environmental choices an incentive to move us in the right direction or should we be left to making green choices on our own? I mean really, aren’t we taxed enough?

Greenwashing 101

As marketers, all we have is our reputation at the end of the day. Intentionally misleading consumers is a no-no, yet integrity in marketing is sometimes hard to come by. Case in point - the Green category that is currently exploding with new product entrants that are capitalizing on consumer demand.Now, while many of these companies are authentically “Green”, others are not, and it is important to equip yourself with the facts so that you know what to look for when buying Green products.

Terra Choice is a company that governs authenticity in Green claims by certifying Green products with the Eco-logo. Be sure to look for this logo when purchasing products.

The six sins of Greenwashing:
1. Sin of no proof
2. Sin of the hidden tradeoff
3. Sin of vagueness
4. Sin of irrelevance
5. Sin of the lesser of two evils
6. Sin of fibbing

Thanks to TerraChoice for keeping the industry honest!