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Should Canada implement a carbon points system? – CTV News
TORONTO —
Imagine if, tucked between your debit and credit cards, your wallet had a another piece of plastic: a points card designed to save the planet as you use it.
Loaded with a year’s worth of points, your carbon card would need to be presented to buy a pound of steak from the butcher, a flight to Mexico, a tank of gas – anything that adds emissions to the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.
Your annual points limit would be determined through a variety of factors, such as access to public transit or geography. A lobster fisherman in Nova Scotia who needs gas to power his boat would have more points than, say, a barista in downtown Toronto with access to public transit.
If you run out of points before the year ends, you could buy more from someone with extra points to spare – a financial reward for going green.
The idea was floated in a recent Globe and Mail opinion piece by Vancouver-based writer Eleanor Boyle. Her argument is that, during the Second World War, food rations helped galvanize citizens who weren’t at the frontlines of battle. Studies show rations were popular, too.
Tackling climate change can be compared to going to war, but Boyle suggests the fight can be propelled by rationing carbon instead of food.
“I think life is empty without contribution,” Boyle told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “We all want to know how to contribute to addressing this problem.”
Boyle didn’t invent the idea. Eleven years ago, a group of British MPs floated the idea of citizens carrying carbon cards loaded with points. At the time, Britain’s environment minister praised the idea as having potential, but said it was “ahead of its time.” It was eventually shelved.
Canadian politicians have never officially considered the idea. But maybe they should, Boyle said.
“If systems are designed that really address the problem and are as fair as possible, people will get on board.”
COULD IT WORK?
Some environmental experts are, at best, skeptical of the idea.
Jessica Green, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto who has written extensively on environmental politics, called the idea of a carbon points system “a political loser, over and over again.” Worse, she said, it would unfairly put the onus on everyday citizens to tackle climate change rather than big corporations.
One report suggests that, since 1988, 100 companies are responsible for 70 per cent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“It forces the individual consumer to consider, ‘Do I want to spend all my carbon credits on this new television,’ as opposed to saying to business and firms that they need to solve this problem — fossil fuel companies, I might add,” she said.
“If there is any value in such an approach, it would be the government officially recognizing that we’ve come to a crisis point. Which could be useful in trying to galvanize more public support. But I think that’s the extent of it.”
Simply put, Green said: “It’s not going to fix the problem.”
Steve Easterbook, director of the University of Toronto’s School of the Environment, said rationing “in some form or another” is inevitable because today’s solutions – such as the carbon tax and emissions trading schemes — don’t go far enough to adequately curb emissions.
“But given the political battles over the federal carbon tax, it’s hard to imagine that voters in Canada would willingly accept rationing until a lot more people experience the impacts of climate change,” he said.
“People need to see that rationing is in support of a massive effort on all fronts. So you can’t just introduce rationing and expect people to go along with it. What we really need is a government willing to make the massive investments in clean energy infrastructure that would create jobs and boost the economy in the process. Rationing comes later.”
THE VALUE OF COLLECTIVE ACTION
Boyle responded to the critiques by pointing out that she isn’t married to the idea of a carbon points system, but simply thinks it is a possible solution worth considering. She also agrees that big corporate emitters need to be held accountable.
But there’s something valuable in uniting people behind a single goal with clear instructions, she said.
“Systems like rationing are a form of collective action … As well, they give individuals a way of participating in this grand project that we all have,” she said.
“What I’m saying is let’s put some big ideas on the table. Let’s talk about some really broad and wide-scale actions that we might consider.”
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Beginning a guitar lesson will likely start off by asking about their goals and what they would like to learn, before teaching basic chords and the universal strumming pattern.
Understanding that mastering any instrument takes time is crucial, but consistent practice will yield tangible results within weeks or two.
- Know the Instrument
As you embark on your guitar journey, it is crucial that you establish the essential foundational knowledge. This includes becoming acquainted with your instrument and how it operates; having this understanding will allow for improved playing performance and lessen frustration.
Study the names and placement of strings on the fretboard, as well as chords; chords are groups of notes you strum together to produce harmony; more chords you know means more songs you can play! Open chords such as Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd or Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival are easy-to-play examples of open chords that use open strings with fretted ones on the first three frets; these chords may help get you started playing more advanced songs!
Fretting and unfretting each chord to become familiar with its shape will help build strength and confidence in your fingers, making chord playing more natural and intuitive.
- Know the Basics
Once you arrive for your first lesson, your instructor will ask for some information about yourself to gain a sense of what goals and learning styles you wish to accomplish through guitar lessons.
At first, you’ll learn to hold and number each string on the guitar; picking individual strings while developing an understanding of how much pressure must be applied in order to play each note is also taught during these early lessons.
Soon you will start strumming along to songs and developing an understanding of rhythm. While this process can seem cumbersome and time-consuming, keep in mind that professional guitarists spend hours each day working on developing their rhythm skills! Once you find your groove with playing chords you will soon be on your way to creating music that uplifts and motivates! Although this might take a while it will ultimately pay off!
- Set Goals
Once you’ve built rapport with your instructor, it is crucial that you discuss what your goals for guitar are. This will enable them to tailor a practice routine just for you that will help realize your musical ambitions.
Beginner students of guitar can sometimes have unrealistic expectations that can undermine their motivation to practice guitar. Expectations such as effortlessly smooth chord changes or effortless strumming can become discouraging when they don’t come immediately.
Your first objective should be getting your fretting hand fingers to form simple chords together with ease, taking time and practice. Your fingertips may hurt until calluses form; don’t be discouraged though as without hard work there will never be success in anything!
Setting specific guitar goals will enable you to monitor your progress and achievements more easily. A good goal can be as straightforward as “Improvise a slow blues song using Eric Clapton’s style within 3 months”. Tying these goals to rewards and discussing them with your instructor will keep you accountable and help ensure success.
- Practice
No matter whether it’s scales, chord progressions or songs – knowing your goals and practicing to reach them is key to reaching them. Achieve success requires having a clear image of what success looks like (such as being able to improvise over a slow blues in Eric Clapton’s style within three months) as well as tracking progress towards that goal.
To ensure you meet your goals, it’s essential to create a detailed plan and set aside specific times each week that you can dedicate to practicing. Discuss your objectives with your instructor to establish what a realistic timeline might look like for achieving musical aspirations.
Take steps outside your comfort zone during practice sessions to keep motivated and expand your guitar abilities in novel ways. Try playing songs in different keys than usual or adding some advanced chords to your repertoire. This may keep your practice sessions interesting and help to keep you moving forward!
Begin your musical journey with guitar lessons and discover the joy of playing your favorite songs on this versatile instrument. With expert instruction, you’ll learn the skills you need to play your favorite pieces and express yourself creatively through music. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician, guitar lessons can help you take your playing to the next level.
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We use cookies and data to
- Deliver and maintain Google services
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- Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services
If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to
- Develop and improve new services
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- Show personalized content, depending on your settings
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If you choose to “Reject all,” we will not use cookies for these additional purposes.
Non-personalized content is influenced by things like the content you’re currently viewing, activity in your active Search session, and your location. Non-personalized ads are influenced by the content you’re currently viewing and your general location. Personalized content and ads can also include more relevant results, recommendations, and tailored ads based on past activity from this browser, like previous Google searches. We also use cookies and data to tailor the experience to be age-appropriate, if relevant.
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