OTTAWA — The Canadian economy can transform itself into a clean-running green machine by 2050, slashing its emissions by more than half with very little economic pain, say the authors of a new report from the National Round Table on the Environment.

The federally-funded advisory panel is urging government leaders to quickly put a “strong” price on industrial emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants and says the sooner the better for both the economy and the environment.

The report urges Canadian politicians to focus the debate on either a carbon tax, a cap and trade system, or both.

I suspect that both the environmentalist, Stephane Dion, and the economist, Stephen Harper, already know that a carbon tax is the best way to cut emissions. They also probably already know that a carbon tax would meet with a lot of backlash.

But, you have to wonder – would this be unpopular anywhere outside of Alberta? And if Albertans are determined to vote for the same party for all eternity, do either Dion or Harper have a real incentive to listen to Albertans on this one?