| Sumario: | The article focuses on the concept of cognitive dissonance in public and political responses to climate change, particularly regarding the costs and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. It highlights the "Tragedy of the Horizon," a term used by Mark Carney to describe society’s undervaluation of future climate catastrophes, exemplified by the political debate over carbon taxes and pipeline development. The article uses British Columbia’s increasing forest fire damage and associated direct and indirect costs—estimated at an average of $1,260 per family annually—as a case study illustrating the tangible financial impacts of climate change. It also discusses the tension between Alberta’s economic interests in expanding oil sands production and BC’s environmental concerns, emphasizing the uneven distribution of GHG emissions and related risks. The author suggests that transparent, earmarked taxation could help address cognitive dissonance by making climate-related costs more visible to taxpayers.
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