Clearwater residents Keith McNeill and Jean Nelson completed their first leg of a 350km carbon cycle at the Bear Radio Station in Barriere the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 3.The pair are dedicated to promoting e-Petition 297 which is an online petition to Canada's parliament that calls for nationwide carbon fee-and-dividend as a way to help control global warming.
"We are both quite concerned about the threat of human-caused climate change and believe that carbon fee-and-dividend offers the best method to control it," said McNeill, "Essentially, there would be a fee on all fossil fuels similar to a carbon tax. Unlike a tax, however, all of the money collected would not go into general government revenue but instead would be distributed as equal dividends to the people."The duo plan to ride four to five hours a day and expect to be in Kelowna by Aug. 9."B.C. is one of two provinces that has carbon fee dividend and it really seems to be working," said Nelson, "It's tax shifting rather than an increase."I drive a small car and try to live a simple life. Our economy is set up more and more to use fossil files.
I would like people to always consider what they are doing; when they do the laundry and use a dryer rather than hanging the clothes on a line, using the dishwasher rather than doing the dishes by hand, idling the car – all are contributors to global warming."
Jean Nelson is 81 years old, was Mrs. Chatelaine magazine in 1970, and was for some time the chair of the former School District 26 (North Thompson). She is also an experienced cyclist and McNeill says he has a hard time keeping up with her.Keith McNeill is the editor of the Clearwater Times newspaper. Twenty years ago he walked from Clearwater to Toronto. Last year he was joined by Jean Nelson when they flew back to Toronto and finished his trip from Toronto to Ottawa on bicycles to present a petition calling for carbon fee-and-dividend as a way to control global warming.
"You may only attract one person at a time but it grows," said Nelson.If you are a Canadian resident or citizen you can add your name to e-Petition 297 by going tohttps://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-297