May 11, 2006
SHAME AND SIN IN CANADA
Environmentalists want Amrose to quit Kyoto post (Mike De Souza, National Post, May 11th, 2006)
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose should resign as chairperson of international negotiations on climate change because she's in danger of sabotaging the United Nations Kyoto protocol which was ratified by more than 150 countries, environmental groups said Wednesday.At a news conference, the environmentalists said Ambrose had no business leading the international community's fight against climate change, since she hasn't proved she supports the Kyoto protocol's objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"It's the honourable things to do," said John Bennett, executive director of the Canadian Climate Action Network. "If you are engaged in a negotiation that is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and you are doing nothing but bad mouth that process, bad mouth the way it works, bad mouth other countries, you're going to do immeasurable damage to the international negotiations."[...]
Greenpeace spokesperson Steven Guilbeault said that many countries are, in fact, on pace to meet their targets, and they're surprised that the new Canadian environment minister is saying the opposite of what Dion fought for at a United Nations climate change conference held December in Montreal.
"They're a little bit baffled frankly," said Guilbeault. "Now, all of a sudden, having Canada in line with (U.S. President) George W. Bush on climate change is a bit of a shock to everybody."
It’s a bit of a shock to us too, Steven. But with Harper’s approval ratings climbing daily (nearly 70% in Alberta and Quebec) and no one brave enough to confront the horror, we’ll just have to suffer the humiliation a bit longer.
Posted by Peter Burnet at May 11, 2006 8:50 AMA Canadian against global warming? How nearsighted! Guys, just think of all that prime ocean front real estate on Baffin Island that will be ready for condo development!
Posted by: Mikey at May 11, 2006 9:57 AMGreenpeace spokesperson Steven Guilbeault said that many countries are, in fact, on pace to meet their targets,
But, um, not Canada. Under the Liberals it was "sign up for Kyoto, but don't actually do anything about it." Canada's greenhouse emissions actually increased much more than the US's under the Liberals. Just like how the actual greenhouse emissions are much better under Bush than under Clinton.
But it's the appearance of the thing that's important to these clowns. Much better to pretend to sign up to the treaty and then not implement than to honestly admit you can't follow it, but do better than the pretenders.
Posted by: John Thacker at May 11, 2006 10:07 AMNone of the major western countries are on track to meet their targets, IIRC.
The ex-Soviet-bloc nations are a notable exception, and so is France. The former due to being huge polluters in the base year (1990), giving them a low bar. The latter due to France's heavy use of nuclear power.
Posted by: Gideon at May 11, 2006 11:29 AMGideon,
The UK is, I believe, also on target. In their case it's because the base year was during when the Tories were closing a bunch of extremely inefficient coal pits (over heavy union objection).
Posted by: John Thacker at May 11, 2006 11:55 AMThe whole purpose of the goals is to have another weapon to the arsenal to be used against the Conservative gov't, one that would never be used against their Liberal allies. That's why no one cared when Chretien and Martin didn't meet the goals. That's why the Left felt a little betrayed by Clinton for not leaving similar goals in place for his successor. If it'd been Algore, they too would have been ignored if necessary, but imagine the wailing over Bush's administration not even trying to meet them.
Ambrose, the heretic, should be burnt on the stake.
Posted by: ic at May 11, 2006 3:06 PM