All Green Party MLA Candidates who participated in our climate survey responded with the same answers, except for two.

The following response belong to these candidates:

1) Do you acknowledge the global scientific consensus on the facts of Climate Change?

Yes.

2) Do you agree with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 to ensure we keep global warming to 1.5^OC above pre-industrial levels? https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/  What is your plan to achieve this?

Yes. The Green Party would set a goal of a 50% renewably powered grid by 2030. The Green Party of Alberta recognizes climate change as a serious threat to humanity globally. The Party also recognizes Alberta’s ethical obligation to contribute to the solution of climate change and supports an orderly transition from dependence on fossil fuel exploitation to reliance on the full range of renewable energy sources available in the province, including wind, solar power and geo-thermal. The Party endorses the fastest possible retirement of Alberta’s coal- burning electricity plants and is against any expansion in the rate of production from the oil sands. It would provide economic incentives for the transition through a combination of carbon taxes, feed-in tariffs, tax incentives, and regulation. Since energy efficiency is the cheapest, easiest and quickest way to drastically reduce our energy consumption, the Green Party supports initiatives to facilitate it.

3) According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, climate change will cause increased damage from floods, wildfires, heat and droughts. What specific actions would you take to mitigate and adapt to these risks in order to protect the province we love?

A government led by the Green Party of Alberta would make adaptation to climate change an integral part of all government decision-making. Where communities suffer damage from extreme weather and other climate related events, a Green government would ensure that they are rebuilt in such a way as to minimize the likelihood that they suffer the same sort of damage again in the future. A Green Party of Alberta government would work with municipal governments to amend the Municipal Government Act so as to ensure the principles of adaptation to climate change are followed by municipal governments throughout the province.

4) Are you supportive of a provincial carbon levy as a tool to reduce emissions, and fund public infrastructure and energy innovation? If not, what other policy/policies would you propose in its place to achieve similar goals?

Yes.

5) As the world economy transitions toward cleaner energy sources, what would you/your government do to protect and assist workers in current fossil fuel industries as we diversify our economy?

The Green Party supports initiatives to retrain displaced workers for the skills required in the new economy.

Responses from Allie Tulick (Calgary Glenmore):

1) Yes, climate change is real. According to the Federal Government, Canada is aiming to cut its carbon-dioxide emissions by about 200 million tonnes by 2030 with policies like the carbon tax, phasing out coal power, and investing in public transit, green energy and building energy efficiencies. However, under the Alberta NDP this Province is allowing the oil sands C02 emissions to increase from 75 mega tonnes per year to 100 mega tonnes per year, which negates the Federal initiative and the universally agreed upon goals of the Paris Agreement of which Canada is a signatory. If elected, as a Green Party of Alberta member of the legislative assembly (MLA), I am committed to reducing C02 emissions and embracing the fastest growing economy: the green economy in Alberta.

2) I agree with IPCC and I support energy efficiency to dramatically reduce energy consumption and save Albertans tax dollars. I see Alberta as a clean-energy rich province. Alberta must embrace these growing energy sectors. In addition, I plan to be a strong green voice in legislature to retrofit all existing government infrastructure for energy efficiency to lower our greenhouse gas emissions, to accelerate the coal phase-out to protect the health of Albertans, and to quash subsidy to the oil sands. Through focused reduction, Alberta can achieve Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) targets by 2030.

3) I have proven to be a strong voice for our environment. In 2017, I successfully challenged the Province in an environmental appeal for the Southwest Calgary Ring Road and saved three wetlands in the Weaselhead natural park in my riding of Calgary-Glenmore. My efforts were supported by a significant number of Calgary residents, including several community associations and two fellow-appellants. I continue to protect and hold the government accountable for provincial & federal legislation that affords rights to the biodiversity and natural flood-drought mitigation of our natural environment parks. If elected as a Green Party of Alberta member of the legislative assembly (MLA), I am committed to introduce an Environmental Bill of Rights to grant all Albertans rights to fresh water, clean air and healthy soil. Such a bill affords me as a MLA to mandate the Province to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure.

4) I support a carbon levy and rebate to reduce emissions. This aligns with the Green Party of Alberta’s principles of ecological wisdom, sustainability and social justice and is why I am running as a Green MLA.

5) I see a need to invest in Albertans by lowering tuition for young Albertans and training workers in the fossil fuel industries to be employable for the Green economy. Sectors are in: Energy Management Efficiency (Energy storage & transmission, lighting, heating, ventilating, HVAC, and public transportation); Green Building (construction, architecture, infrastructure, development, building .materials); Environmental Protection (agriculture, pollution control, environment reclamation, environmental consulting and engineering, management, and recycling); Carbon Finance & Investment (carbon management, offset markets, and venture capital); Green Support (research and development, advanced education and training, law, information technology, nongovernmental organizations, and the public sector. The Green economy brings diversification and stable jobs for Albertans now for generations to come.

Responses from Heather Morigeau (Calgary Buffalo):

1) Yes, climate change is primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, chemical spray and humans wasteful lifestyles.

2) I believe the carbon tax in Alberta should continue to be used for implementing renewable energy options, such as solar and geothermal energy. As well we need to develop a maglev train, encased into a tube which travels from northern Alberta to southern Alberta to reduce the need for automotive transport of people, goods and services. Each city needs to adopt a “Green Belt” limiting the expansion of the urban sprawl, this area will be devoted to urban agriculture for human food consumption to ensure that we have a sufficient access to nutrient dense foods without dependance on food imports or the industrial farming complex. I believe Alberta needs to develop a segment of our petroleum based plastic manufacturing sector to include recycled plastic. Hemp needs to be the primary agricultural industry as it regenerates the soil during crop rotations, I would also support expanding our ability to process hemp into paper, plastic, cement and pressboard to offset our dependance on forests and oil. Farmers will also receive rebates for incorporating permaculture design into their farms and reducing mono-culture. Increasing the rate of trees and native shrubs will also be rewarded for both farmers and homeowners. I would like to see factories and chemical processing required to capture and clean all emissions and heat from their facilities. Flat rooftops in the cities would either be painted white or install living roofs. Green spaces surrounding roads would be required to include a 25-50% meadow mixture of native wildflowers. Improve the sewer systems to capture the trash debris before it is released into the rivers from storm drains. Limit single use plastic in grocery and consumer products.

3) Prevention is better than the cure. In urban centres grass is causing severe levels of erosion and drought, I would like to reward homeowners who incorporate native plant species into their yards, replacing lawns and English gardening styles. This also includes the green spaces between roads and in parks. The more native species we include in our urban centres the more water is retained in the soil and the water table, which prevents droughts, floods, heat and wildfires. I also feel that we are not listening to the wisdom of Indigenous Elders who have multiple generations of knowledge about these lands. The Piikani Nation has been requesting that the Old Man River damn needs to be managed better, the drought/ flood of the damn cycles is damaging their traditional lands and its vegetation. Teachings like this would help the province better mitigate the risk of environmental disasters.

4) Yes I fully support the carbon levy.

5) First, using the pipeline building skills of the existing workforce we would construct the maglev train within a tube, which travels from Northern Alberta to Southern Alberta. This uses their existing skills and begins the transition towards new skills. I propose that education for fossil fuel workers be made available free of charge to those seeking to retrain, and would lobby the federal government for early pensions for workers who are in their last 5 years of being employed as oil and gas workers, as it is a hardship to expect those skilled workers to retrain this late in their career.