Thank you, Mr. Lemire.
Absolutely, the green taxation is an extraordinary way to bring the market towards eco-friendly choices. Starting with a carbon price is a step in the right direction, but we need to go much further than that if we want to listen to the science and respect our planet's limits with respect to climate and biodiversity.
The green taxation is a way to internalize environmental and social costs, which the market does not currently allow. We are dragging our feet and mortgaging our children's future as a result.
When you go to the grocery store, you will notice that local organic apples cost much more than chemically treated apples imported from Chile, for example. Yet the environmental impact of imported industrially grown apples is much greater than that of local apples.
Climate change is also affecting energy costs. Because of COVID-19, we are now seeing how expensive a health crisis is. We are also seeing the impact of floods and droughts on agriculture.
What I'm urging you all, especially elected officials, to do is to take responsibility, in that the first responsibility of governments is to protect the health and safety of their people.
Right now, the scientific studies are very clear that our inaction will cost human lives and clearly damage the economy. Even the proposals of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which supports traditional neo-liberalism, stress the importance of applying the polluter pays principle and internalizing environmental and social costs.
It is time for Canadians to stop burying our heads in the oil sands, because that is what we are doing by not listening to the science. We are therefore setting up crises that our children will have to face.
I am speaking here today not only as a mother, but also as a scientist. I invite you to read the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and those of Ouranos, and to focus on the solutions, because there are solutions.
There is resistance to change, but Canada has a duty to be in this game on behalf of many economic players, some of whom are around the table today.