Mark Jaccard says he isn't a carbon tax advocate, however the Simon Fraser University professor and advisor the the federal and provincial governments still defends the movement. The B.C. government recently introduced the tax and since that time, it has received all kinds of criticism, from those who think it's too low, too high and everything in between.

Jaccard's credentials also include being a research fellow with the C.D. How Institute and the lead author of the Global Energy Assessment policy sections. He believes that voluntary attemps by the Canadian government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions haven't worked and therefore compulsory action such as regulations or taxes, is necessary. In this case, Jaccard still thinks the tax is best option available for a democracy and as demonstrated below, is prepared to argue the claims made by critics.

The tax is too low to have any effect. The cost of gas has been going up steadily in recent years, but people still keep driving; a few more cents a litre won't have any effect.

There is no alternative to a modest but gradually rising carbon tax," Jaccard said in an e-mail. "You cannot start high. That would be very unfair. You start low and schedule it to climb. As for the cost of gas and people still driving, this is a complete misunderstanding. The goal is not to make people drive less. It is to make them pollute less. They might travel less. They might switch to transit sometimes. They might car pool. They might get a lower or zero-emission vehicle. Social science research indicates that the most likely outcome is people switching to lower-emission vehicles. This is just a reality of what we know about people. It does not mean I want this outcome."

Because the tax is revenue neutral, people won't have an incentive to change their carbon-emitting habits. If the government uses tax breaks to give them back the extra money they'll spend on fuel, why should they drive less or turn down the thermostat?

If you really cut your emissions, Jaccard says, you will pay less carbon tax but you will still receive the government's offsetting tax credits."Those who cut emissions more will be better off than those who cut less. There is your incentive. First year economics."

It's social engineering.

"Nope. That is why it does not have an objective of people driving less. What we all care about is less emissions. So the policy focuses on emissions -- not on behaviour -- and lets people decide how to get the emissions down....

"The policy is not intended to change behaviour, and anyone who wanted a policy to do that would not be in power -- not here in Canada, not even in Europe, where there are Green parties that share power in some cases."

Hit the jump to read more of Jaccard's opinion on the B.C.'s recent carbon tax initiative.

» The Tyee