Rethinking Lifestyle

Aside from a four hour power disruption in some communities, the October snow storm did not affect us much here in the Southeast. This was not the case for other parts of the province.

I dug out our Christmas present from a few years ago to look through it to remind me all that was in it. Our son, who is a bit of a survivalist got us all “bug out bags”.

Our climate is changing. Where once we could expect the majority of our precipitation as snow in the winter months we must now expect a more even split between snow and rain.

The Friday morning before Thanksgiving in the midst of the snowstorm that pummeled Manitoba, we had several power interruptions that set things bleeping (the stove clock, the printer), and then it was gone – the power! It was 4am.

In the run-up to the federal election, we continue our examination of the carbon tax.

When I discuss a carbon tax or a resource tax with thoughtful people who are opposed to a carbon tax, there are generally three objections.

Basic economics says that whenever we make anything there are three fundamental inputs. In economics these inputs are called Factors of Production – land, labour, and capital.

Today, because we are in election season and the advisability of a carbon tax is in the air, we continue our examination of how such a tax might affect us.

Governments have always needed money to function, even democratic governments, but until about 150 years ago, they have not needed a great deal of money – unless a war was being financed.

When it comes to energy use, we live extravagantly, or perhaps more accurately, we squander energy.