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OPINION5TuesdayApril22013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-1Cand-13CNorms2Cand-11C-25Low-24Low-18High-12High-20Low-11High-20Low-27Low-21Low-14High-10High-20Low-10High-16Low-11High-5HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-12Cand-22CNorms-4Cand-16C-26Low-25Low-31Low-28Low-26Low-26Low-12High-12High-23Low-12High-27Low-11High-20High-18High-18High-18HighNearly200ofCanadasbestknowneconomistssignedaletterin2008infavourofputtingapriceoncarbonpollution.WhydidsomanyeconomistssupportthisplanIfwewantgovernmentserviceswehavetoputupwithtaxes.Allecono-mistscautionthatwehavetobecarefulhowtaxesareapplied.Generallyifyouwantmoreofsomethingsuchasjobsandincomestaxitlessandifyouwantlessofsomethingsuchascarbonpollutiontaxitmore.InBritishColumbiafor-merpremierGordonCamp-belltookthisadviceandin-troducedarevenue-neutralcarbontaxin2009.Thetaxstartedat10tonneandwasgraduallyincreasedto30tonneafterfouryears.FordieselfuelthisworkedoutTaxingcarbonstrengthenstheeconomyreducesfossilfuelusetobeaninitial3centin-creaseandthensubsequentincreasesof1.5centseachyearfouryears.Mr.Camp-bellalsopromisedtousethecarbontaxrevenuestodecreasecorporateandper-sonalincometaxes.Thispromisetomakethetaxrev-enueneutralwasbackedupbylegislation.BCsgovernmentalsoad-dressedconcernsthatcarbontaxesmaybeharderonthepoorandremotecommuni-tieswhereagreateramountoffossilfuelsareused.Thegovernmentaddressedthisproblemthroughalowin-cometaxcreditandincludedaregionaltaxcreditasoffset.WhileMr.CampbelldidnotsurviveBCpoliticshiscarbontaxhas.EventheNDPinBCwhowereinitiallycautiousaboutthetaxarecommittedtokeepingit.Pollsshowthatnearlytwo-thirdsofBrit-ishColumbianssupportthetaxasawaytofightclimatechange.PercapitaconsumptionoffossilfuelssubjecttothetaxhasdecreasedinBCby9.9percentinthepastfouryearswhileintheotherprovincesthedropwas4.6percent.BCsgrowthwasslightlybetterthantheotherprovincesinthesameperiod.BCssuccesswiththecar-bontaxhasconrmedtheScandinavianexperiencewhichshowsthatyoucanstillhaveeconomicgrowthwith-outwhiledecreasingcarbonpollution.Swedenhashadacarbontaxsince1990s.Be-tween1990and2005Swe-densgreenhousegasemis-sionsfellby9percentwhileitseconomygrewby48percent.InCanadaduringthesameperiodgreenhousegasemissionsincreasedby22percentanditseconomygrewby51percent.AcommonconcernamongNorthernersaboutacarbontaxisthatwehavenochoicebuttoconsumealotoffos-silfuels.Itispossibleforustouselessfuelwithoutmajorinvestmentsbyturn-ingdowntheheatatnightinsulatingbuildingsbetterevendrivingless.Acarbontaxwouldencouragesuchadvances.Reducingrelianceonfos-silfuelsisnotjustanenvi-ronmentalissueitisabouteconomicdevelopment.Weimportseveralhundredmil-lionlitresofexpensivefossilfuelseveryyear.ThattakesmoneyoutofthepocketsofNortherners.Carbontaxeswouldhelpreducethatde-pendenceandstrengthenoureconomy.DougRitchieYellowknifeTheresnodenyingthatparentingcanbeachal-lengefromtimetotime.Childrenfrombirththroughtotheteenageyearswillgothroughphasesinwhichdifficultbehavioursseemtobethenorm.Regardlessofyourchildsageiftheyhavedevelopmentaldelaysoraretypicallydevelop-ingitisimportanttoun-derstandthosechallengingbehaviours.Everybehaviourhasapurpose.Thisshortsen-tenceshouldflashthrougheveryparentorcaregiversmindwhenevertheirchildisdisplayingbehaviourstheyviewasnegative.Learningtotakethetimetounderstandthebehav-iorwillhelpparentsgiveappropriateconsequencesandinthelongrunshoulddecreasefurtherchalleng-ingbehaviours.Forexampleifyour4year-oldhasbeentoilet-trainedforthepastyearandhesuddenlystartshavingaccidentseverydaywhatwouldyourreactionbePerhapsonemightshoutatorshamethechildormaybeatime-outwouldbegiven.Inthissituationitisimportanttoreallythinkaboutwhathaschangedinthechildslifearoundthesametimeastheaccidentsbegantooccur.Perhapsanewsiblingwasbornandhavingaccidentsisawaytogetmoreparentalatten-tionormaybethefamilyismovingandthechildisanxious.Ormaybethereisanunderlyingmedicalconcern.Thesameconceptappliesifyouhaveachildwithadisabilityorspecialneeds.Ifyouhavea3year-oldchildwhohasautismandshebitesandhitswhen-everyougotothegrocerystorewhatwouldyoudoOfcourseifyourchildhasautismoranyotherspecialneedyouwouldcatertothesituationaccordingly.Inthissituationunderstand-ingthebehaviourwouldbeallthemoreimportantasthischildswayofunder-standingtheworldwouldlikelylookdifferentthanatypicallydevelopingchild.WhatmightbecausingthebehaviourMaybethegrocerystoreisloudortheneonlightsarebothersomethechildssensorysystemmaynotbeabletocopewiththestimulus.Perhapssheisovertiredorhungry.Maybesheisstrugglingwiththetransitionbetweenthecarrideandtheshoppingex-cursion.Thepotentialpur-poseofthebehaviourisvastjustasitwouldbeifatypicallydevelopingchildweredisplayingthesamebehaviours.Ifwetakethetimetoconsiderwhyabehaviourthatweviewasnegativeisoccurringwecandealwithiteffectivelywhichwillcauselessstressonboththechildandtheparent.Whatitallcomesdowntoisthatweneedtorememberchildrencannotalwaystellyouwhytheyarebehav-inginachallengingway.Weneedtotakethetimetounderstanditandhelpthemthroughit.AlbertaHealthServicesUnderstandingyourchildschallengingbehaviourNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKPaulW.Kaeserhighschoolischangingupitsbiennialinternationaltripthisyear.WhiletheschoolusuallyheadssomewherepredictableinEuropelikeItalySpainorEnglandthisyearsdestinationisallaboutConfuciusMahjongandoneancientfar-reachingwall.PWKstudentslandinChinanorj.caDianeWallsReallywishIhadpaidmoreattentioninschoolandtakenadvantageofsomeofthisstuff.MyrnaBlakeagreatplacetogo...hopetheyareabletoseethewallfromtheplanebeforetheyland.Prettyimpressiveplacetovisit