Green Neighbour: Climate News and Analysis Art Lightstone

That’s right… I used to be a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party. However, I had to withdraw my support for the Conservative Party... and now I’m going to tell you why.


CONTENTS OF THIS PODCAST:
00:00 - Introduction
00:29 - My background as a fiscal conservative
01:32 - Why I had to withdraw my support for the Conservative Party
02:50 - We don't need hydrocarbons
03:26 - Hydrocarbons are a losing game
05:28 - A better way forward
06:00 - Thanks for Watching!


SOURCES:
Conservative delegates reject adding 'climate change is real' to the policy book (CBC, 2021):
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservative-delegates-reject-climate-change-is-real-1.5957739

The Atmosphere: Getting a Handle on Carbon Dioxide (NASA):
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/climate-change/greenhouse-gases/the-atmosphere-getting-a-handle-on-carbon-dioxide/

An Open Letter from Economists on Canadian Carbon Pricing (An Open Letter from Economists on Canada’s Carbon Pricing, 2024):
https://ecofiscal.ca/2024/03/26/open-letter-carbon-pricing/

Climate change is costing us. Carbon pricing works. (Canada’s EcoFiscal Commission, 2018):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_6uefqcQY&t=1s

Clearing the air: How carbon pricing helps Canada fight climate change (Canada’s EcoFiscal Commission, 2018):
https://ecofiscal.ca/carbon-pricing-works/

The carbon price debate is a distraction. What would those who oppose it do instead? (Clean Energy Canada, 2024):
https://cleanenergycanada.org/the-carbon-price-debate-is-a-distraction-what-would-those-who-oppose-it-do-instead/

If Canada axed its carbon tax — and rebates — this is how different households would gain or lose (CBC: 2023):
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/axe-the-tax-and-carbon-rebate-how-canada-households-affected-1.7046905

Understanding Canada's Federal Debt, 2015 (Art Lightstone, 2015):
https://youtu.be/kwUeivsG2M8?si=67OoT25Z3gQhtGPD


SOCIAL MEDIA:
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• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@GreenNeighbour
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In this episode of Dubunk the Debunkers ( originally published as a video at: https://youtu.be/7TVoyh_JJak ) Uncle Gomer takes issue with Rosh Salgado D'Arcy's Debunking of Dr. William Happer's theory of CO2 saturation.

The specific video that Uncle Gomer debunks in this episode is entitled, "The Science of CO2: Debunking the Saturation Myth," from Rosh's channel, All About Climate. For anyone who is genuinely curious about the notion of CO2 saturation and how it impacts the Earth's climate, I highly recommend that you watch this video. It can be found at the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVBDMeuHq_U&t=294s


CONTENTS OF THIS PODCAST:
00:00 - Introduction
00:25 - CO2 Saturation of the Atmosphere
01:24 - CO2 Saturation for Plant Life
03:26 - CO2 Concentration in the Earth's Atmosphere has been Much Higher in the Past
04:38 - Uncle Gomer Debunk's Rosh Salgado D'Arcy's Debunk of Dr. William Happer
06:43 - Thanks for Watching!


SOURCES:
The Science of CO2: Debunking the Saturation Myth (All About Climate, August 17, 2021):
https://youtu.be/TVBDMeuHq_U?si=g2J1JF1E0sUHvJLE

Ask the Experts: Does Rising CO2 Benefit Plants? (Scientific American, January 23, 2018):
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ask-the-experts-does-rising-co2-benefit-plants1/

How much CO2 can trees take up? (Grantham Institute, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015)
https://granthaminstitute.com/2015/09/02/how-much-co2-can-trees-take-up/

Eocene paleontology and geology of western North America (Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, April 29, 2016)
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjes-2016-0043

Is the current level of atmospheric CO2 concentration unprecedented in Earth’s history? (The Royal Society, Last updated March 2020):
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/climate-change-evidence-causes/question-7

High CO2 levels cause plants to thicken their leaves, which could worsen climate change effects, researchers say (University of Washington News, October 1, 2018)
https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/10/01/thick-leaves-high-co2/

Leaf Trait Acclimation Amplifies Simulated Climate Warming in Response to Elevated Carbon Dioxide (Global Biogeochemical Cycles, October 1, 2018):
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GB005883 x

Don't plants do better in environments with very high CO2? (MIT Climate Portal, Updated January 8, 2024):
https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/dont-plants-do-better-environments-very-high-co2

Forests Are Losing Their Ability to Hold Carbon (Scientific American, July 26, 2023):
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/forests-are-losing-their-ability-to-hold-carbon/


SOCIAL MEDIA:
• Web: www.green-neighbour.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreenNeighbour
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtLightstone
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If you live in Canada, and you’ve looked at your bank account recently, you’ll likely see that, at some point on January 15th, you received your quarterly Climate Action Incentive Payment, or what is colloquially referred to as the carbon tax rebate. Will the rebates be enough to cover what most Canadian families spend on carbon tax each year? That's the question I'll be examining in this episode of Green Neighbour.

CONTENTS OF THIS PODCAST:
00:00 - Introduction to the Question
02:15 - Scenario A (Upper-Middle Income)
03:38 - Estimating Expenditures on Natural Gas
10:53 - Scenario B (Middle-Middle Income)
13:34 - Scenario C (Lower-Middle Income)
16:08: Final Analysis
17:26 - Thanks for Watching!

SOCIAL MEDIA:
• Web: www.green-neighbour.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtLightstone
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenNeighbour
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@GreenNeighbour
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenneighbour/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artlightstone/

SOURCES:
Motor fuel prices (Ontario Provincial Government):
https://www.ontario.ca/motor-fuel-prices/#:~:text=The%20federal%20carbon%20tax%20is%20now%2014.31%20cents%20per%20litre

Fuel consumption ratings search tool (Natural Resources Canada):
https://fcr-ccc.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/en

Average Natural Gas Usage Per Month (Shrink that Footprint, 2023):
https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/average-natural-gas-usage-per-month/

Average Natural Gas Usage Per Month – 2024 (Shrink that Footprint, Updated, 2024):
https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/average-natural-gas-usage-per-month/

How Big is a House? (Shrink that Footprint)
https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/how-big-is-a-house/

Federal Carbon Tax (Trans Gas):
https://www.transgas.com/customer-central/federal-carbon-tax

Federal Carbon Tax (Trans Gas):
https://earth.org/carbon-tax-revenue-neutrality/

Canadians receiving first carbon tax rebate of 2024, here's when (CTV News, 2024):
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canadians-receiving-first-carbon-tax-rebate-of-2024-here-s-when-1.6723609
Brace yourself for surging heating bills (Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 2023)
https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/brace-yourself-for-surging-heating-bills

Canada's budget watchdog troubled by spin around latest report on carbon pricing (CBC, 2023):
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/watchdog-spin-report-carbon-pricing-1.6805441

Gini Coefficients based on the adjusted family after-tax income, by province and territory, 2016 to 2021 (Statistics Canada, 2021):
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230809/t007b-eng.htm

Tax filers and dependants with income by total income, sex and age (Statistics Canada)
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110000801

New analysis finds most Canadian households will save money in switch to electricity (Canadian Climate Institute, 2023):
https://climateinstitute.ca/new-analysis-finds-most-canadian-households-will-save-money-in-switch-to-electricity

‘Great Canadian Class Study’ reveals strong belief in meritocracy despite low mobility across generations (University of Alberta, 2023):
https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2023/11/great-canadian-class-study-reveals-strong-belief-in-meritocracy.html

There is no doubt that climate change is ramping up. We’re seeing more dramatic impacts of global warming every day, all around the world, but, do Canadians need to take any responsibility for all of this?



After all, the population of Canada is quite small compared to many other countries. In fact, Canada is only responsible for about 2% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, so do Canadians get a free pass on our responsibility to take swift and decisive action on climate change?



This is the question that we’ll be exploring today on Green Neighbour.



Please Note: A video version of this episode can be found at: https://youtu.be/xSm5-iZVx4s

After hearing about Tesla’s recent worldwide price cuts, I thought I would share this news and discuss why this is such an important development with respect to sustainable transportation and, indeed, climate change. In addition, in the Analytical Tools and Resources segment, we look at a tool that can quickly and easily help you distinguish fact from disinformation. Finally, in the Taking Action segment, we look at a number of different ways anyone can reduce their personal transportation emissions.

Analytical Tools and Resources:


https://www.snopes.com
https://www.factcheck.org
https://www.npr.org/sections/politics-fact-check
https://www.politifact.com/

Taking Action:


https://newmarketcycles.ca/
https://cyclenewmarket.ca/
https://www.bicycling.com/culture/

Resources:


Tesla, Canadian Government Incentives (Tesla.com): https://www.tesla.com/en_ca/support/incentives

Government of Canada, iZEV eligible vehicles (Government of Canada): https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/innovative-technologies/zero-emission-vehicles/light-duty-zero-emission-vehicles/eligible-vehicles

Tesla's Massive Price Cuts Send Shockwaves Across Auto Industry (InsideEVs):
https://insideevs.com/news/632699/tesla-massive-price-cuts-shocks-auto-industry

Tesla’s Price Cuts Are Roiling the Car Market (Wall Street Journal):
https://www.wsj.com/articles/teslas-price-cuts-are-roiling-the-car-market-11674327793

Tesla Price Cuts Are Already Disrupting The Industry (Autospies): https://autospies.com/news/index.aspx?submissionid=114117

US Car Market Shrunk In 2022 But EV Sales Went Up By Two Thirds (InsideEVs): https://insideevs.com/news/631980/us-ev-market-share-increased-2022/#:~:text=EVs%20accounted%20for%205.8%20percent,to%2065%20percent%20in%202022

Tesla Model 3 becomes best-selling premium sedan in the world (Electrek): https://electrek.co/2021/04/26/tesla-model-3-becomes-best-selling-premium-sedan-in-the-world

Tesla Model Y and Model 3 post impressive sales in UK’s December auto market (Teslarati):
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-y-model-3-dominate-uk-auto-market-december/#:~:text=In%20the%20UK's%20battery%20electric,saw%2019%2C071%20sales%20in%202022

Carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars worldwide from 2000 to 2020 (Statista): https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107970/carbon-dioxide-emissions-passenger-transport

Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (EPA): https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=Total%20Emissions%20in%202020%20%3D%205%2C981,of%20these%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions

Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (EPA - Transportation): https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#transportation

What will it cost to cut the carbon footprint of cars sold in the U.S? (Argonne National Laboratory): https://www.anl.gov/article/what-will-it-cost-to-cut-the-carbon-footprint-of-cars-sold-in-the-us#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20led%20by,the%20lifetime%20of%20the%20vehicle

Here’s every electric vehicle that qualifies for the current US federal tax credit (Electrek):
https://electrek.co/2023/01/03/which-electric-vehicles-still-qualify-for-us-federal-tax-credit

Tesla Growth and Production Statistics: How Many Vehicles Are Sold Across the Globe? (investing.com) https://www.investing.com/academy/statistics/tesla-facts

Could the Tesla Model Y be the best selling vehicle of 2023? (Teslarati):
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-y-best-selling-2023

Tesla Production Sites By Model Assignment, Capacity, October 2022 (InsideEVs):
https://insideevs.com/news/617854/tesla-production-sites-model-assignment-october2022

Were These Electric Cars Abandoned Because

The Ford government in Ontario has crafted a plan to not only build new gas-fired power plants in the province, but to also ramp up the use of our existing gas-fired plants, and that will mean giving back about half the gains that Ontario made by ending the use of dirty coal to generate electricity. Yet, in September 2022, Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator released a report entitled, Ontario’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Potential Study, prepared by Dunsky Energy and Climate Advisors. This report tells us that Ontario doesn’t need to increase its gas-fired energy capacity at all, and that we can meet our needs with a smart combination of distributed renewable power and efficiency programs instead... all while saving Ontarians $290 billion dollars.

Taking Action:

Take the Pledge for Climate Action (Ontario Green Party petition to Doug Ford to stop funding oil and gas projects): https://gpo.ca/climate/take-the-pledge/?source=C22.TTP.E.BTN

Resources:

Doug Ford government spent $231M to scrap green energy projects:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-green-energy-wind-turbines-cancelled-230-million-1.5364815

Why all of Canada will pay for Doug Ford’s choice to cancel Ontario’s cap-and-trade program: https://thenarwhal.ca/koch-sues-canada/

Ontario could be entering an energy supply crisis. Here’s what you need to know: https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-electricity-grid/

Ontario’s Coal Phase out: Lessons from a massive climate achievement:
https://www.cleanairalliance.org/ontarios-coal-phase-out-lessons-from-a-massive-climate-achievement/

Costing the Cancellation of Cap and Trade: https://youtu.be/0y0nXLwQDJk

Metrolinx removes electric vehicle chargers from GO station parking lots:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/metrolinx-ev-charging-stations-1.4972890

Electricity Systems Operator’s 2021 outlook: https://www.ieso.ca/en/Sector-Participants/Planning-and-Forecasting/Annual-Planning-Outlook

Ontario’s Electricity Options: A Cost Comparison:
https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/options2022nov.pdf

Does Ontario Need New Gas Plants? https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/New-Gas-fact-or-fiction-sheet-oct-18-v_02.pdf

Ontario’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Potential Study (The Dunsky Report): https://www.ieso.ca/-/media/Files/IESO/Document-Library/engage/derps/derps-20220930-final-report-volume-1.ashx

IESO Annual Planning Outlook (Ontario’s electricity system needs: 2023-2042): https://www.ieso.ca/-/media/Files/IESO/Document-Library/planning-forecasts/apo/Dec2021/2021-Annual-Planning-Outlook.ashx

IESO Recommends Shift to Grid-Scale Storage in Ontario, Relying on Natural Gas Expansions to Ensure Reliability in Near-Term:
https://www.ieso.ca/Corporate-IESO/Media/News-Releases/2022/10/Grid-Scale-Storage-in-Ontario-Natural-Gas-Expansions-to-Ensure-Reliability-in-Near-Term

Distributed Energy Resources:
https://www.ieso.ca/en/Learn/Ontario-Electricity-Grid/Distributed-Energy-Resources

Why is Ontario spending billions on nuclear energy when cheap renewables are available?
https://sppga.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/10/Why-is-Ontario-spending-billions-on-nuclear-energy-when-cheap-renewables-are-available_-%E2%80%93-Canadian-Dimension.pdf


Written and narrated by Art Lightstone


Music:
Feels, by Patrick Patrikios
As Time Passes, by Zapsplat
Atmospheria, by Francis Preve
Investigations, by Kevin MacLeod
Movement, by Dave Miles
Half Cool, by Gemini
Dulce Reggaeton, by An Jone
Cryogenic, by Zapslat
No pressure, by Zapsplat
Rapid Turnaround, by Zapsplat
Deep in Thought, by Zapsplat
Still Learning, by Dave Miles
Exploring, by Zapsplat
Make You Move, by Ofshane