According to Donald Trump, climate change is nothing more than a hoax put on by the Chinese, and there are clearly a number of Americans who agree with him; but what is the Canadian stance on the subject matter? Our government has been working hard to implement legislation to help reduce Canada’s impact on the environment, in accordance with international agreements, and that has meant the creation of legislation that has created more than a little controversy (the carbon tax, for instance). Does resistance to these protocols in favour of cheap electricity align Canadians with Trumpean climate change denial?
Not necessarily.
A study conducted in 2016 does show Canadians to be divided on the subject of climate change; however, the study also shows that more than half of Canadians believe climate change is happening as either a direct or partial consequence of human activities. In fact, 61 per cent of respondents to a study conducted by University of Montreal researchers feel that current climate change conditions have been impacted by human activities, and 79 per cent of Canadians believe that climate change is a very real thing (despite Trump’s attempts to convince us otherwise). What does this mean for the state of cheap electricity rates, though?
While the study found that the majority of Canadians do believe in climate change, and that human actions are impacting climate change, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the majority of Canadians are on board with preventative strategies that could impact their access to cheap electricity. In fact, the study, which included researchers from a number of universities in addition to the University of Montreal, including Yale, and which surveyed more than 5,000 Canadians over the course of five years, found the results of the study to be “nuanced,” “complex,” and to present deep divides in belief.
The conclusion of the study found that 44 per cent of Canadians believe that human activity is a significant factor in rising temperatures on Earth; and 61 per cent believe temperature increases are partly or mostly because of human activities. As a result of these beliefs, 66 per cent of Canadians support a cap and trade system (that would help to control carbon and greenhouse gas emissions), and 49 per cent believe that taxes on carbon-based fuels should be increased. However, those figures aren’t static across the country. While 78 per cent of Quebec individuals believe that climate change is partly or mostly caused by human activity, only 33 per cent of those in the Fort McMurray and Cold Lake regions of Alberta are willing to believe the same. The study also found that more urban than rural Canadians agree with the belief that our roles as human beings negatively impact the environment from a climate change standpoint. In other words, there are demographics of individuals who are apprehensive about findings on climate change—and perhaps even more apprehensive about the potential that these findings will negatively impact their ability to access cheap electricity rates.
What does this mean for cheap electricity rates?
The fact that the majority of Canadians believe human activity may be causing rising temperatures and changing climates on Earth doesn’t necessarily mean we are going to lose access to cheap electricity across the board. In fact, initiatives to increase green energy resources—and the efficiency of those resources—are doing a lot to increase the supply of less expensive (and less harmful) energy sources, and that may mean cheaper electricity rates, both now and in the future. As well, a number of government initiatives are aimed at helping individuals to maximize the efficiency of their energy consumption as well as to maximize their access to green energy innovations that promise even cheaper electricity in the future.
For more information about the incentives and cheap electricity options that are available to you, visit Energyrates.ca today.
