The Global Warming and kyoto, Canada's participation

[Garyv]

Thought after reading this I would post it since it effects us all. If to political then any of the Mods can remove it and I will fully understand. Yes I realize that something probably has to be done in regard to global warming but why do we always start at the bottom. I really don't think that the rest of the real world will follow Canada's example.

 

 

The Kyoto horror show

 

While the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters take a pass, Canada gets

clobbered

 

By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN

 

 

 

 

Here's my list of the "top 10" problems with the Kyoto accord on global

warming. Feel free to add your own.

 

1) The United States, the world's biggest man-made greenhouse gas emitter --

20.6% of all global emissions as of 2000 -- refuses to participate, arguing

it would irreparably damage its economy and makes no demands on the

developing world.

 

2) China, the world's second-biggest emitter (14.8%), is exempt from

reducing greenhouse gases because it's a developing country.

 

3) The 27-member European Union, collectively the world's third-biggest

emitter (14%), undeservedly benefits from the economic collapse of East

Germany following the meltdown of the Soviet Union in 1989, not because of

anything East Germany ever did to reduce greenhouse gases.

 

4) Similarly, Russia -- the world's fourth-biggest emitter (5.7%) --

undeservedly benefits from having huge "emission credits" to sell to other

countries, not because of anything it did to reduce greenhouse gases, but

because its economy also collapsed around 1990 (Kyoto's base year) after the

fall of the Soviet Union.

 

5) India, the world's fifth-biggest emitter (5.5%), is exempt because it's

also a developing country.

 

6) Australia, the world's biggest per-capita emitter of carbon dioxide due

to its heavy reliance on coal, refuses to participate in Kyoto. Even if it

did, it would be allowed to increase its emissions by 8%.

 

This as opposed to Canada, a big, cold, sparsely populated, northern

country -- necessitating the burning of more fossil fuels -- which must

reduce its emissions under Kyoto by 6% compared to 1990, by 2012.

 

COAL FIRED PLANTS

 

7) Almost 850 coal-fired energy plants planned by China (562), India (213)

and the U.S. (72) over the next few years -- none covered by Kyoto -- will

pump an estimated five times more carbon dioxide into the air than Kyoto

removes, even if every other country hits its 2012 emission targets, which

they won't.

 

8) Canada, which produces 2.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions making us

the world's ninth-biggest emitter, is 35% behind our 2012 Kyoto target due

to years of inaction by the previous Liberal government -- which locked us

into the treaty -- followed by a year of inaction by the Tories.

 

But even if we were to hit our target, which would mean savaging our economy

and spending billions buying "hot air" from places like Russia, it would

have no significant impact on global emissions, for the reasons cited above.

 

9) Kyoto is mainly about transferring wealth from the first world to the

third through the purchase of "emission credits" and the like, not reducing

greenhouse gases.

 

10) Kyoto's unenforceable.

 

Finally, do Canadians support Kyoto? Our national media seem to think so,

based largely on a recent Globe/Strategic Counsel poll, which asked people

whether we should "try" to achieve our Kyoto targets. That received a 63% to

30% favourable response. But surely, Canadians believe we should "try" to do

many things. Whether we're willing to make unfair sacrifices in a doomed

effort, is the real question.

 

Interestingly, when The Strategic Counsel asked the same people if they

supported charging "significantly higher prices" for gasoline and heating

their homes -- a far more relevant question -- the vote was 64% to 34%

against.

 

A CanWest/Innovative Research poll which was in the field at almost the same

time as The Strategic Counsel, found about seven in 10 respondents agreed

with the statement: "I don't care whether the new federal government

implements Kyoto or not, so long as they take real action to make our

environment better." Hmmm.

 

The serious issue here is whether Canada's three opposition parties are

crazy enough to force an election on implementing this worthless, unfair

treaty.

 

If I was Prime Minister Stephen Harper, I'd be saying to Liberal leader

Stephane Dion and the rest of them: "Go ahead, make my day."

 

Then I'd campaign on a "made-in-Canada" policy setting hard caps for

reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy and transportation sectors,

while taking a chunk of the money we now spend subsidizing big energy

companies and auto giants and using it to help people retrofit their homes.

 

Finally, I'd tell voters what's really in the Kyoto accord.

 

Diabolical, I know.

Edited February 18, 2007 by Garyv

[lunkerbasshunter]

here is the problem i have with this thing.

 

There is a negative impact on the economy with this.

 

But why should canadians that are number 9 on the list be involved? Why not China who has 1 billion people and a big chuck of the manufacturing jobs in the world be the focus to lower there emmisions. maybe force companies to come back to north america to manufacturer goods so we can rebuild our suffering manufacturing industry?

[OhioFisherman]

Dang I might buy some land in Mexico (southern) and avoid the rush! Tennesse won`t be warm enough for a move there, dang the big T on the hat can be for tequilla?, Florida under water.

 

Who knows, look at the disaster movies, we wait for something bad to happen before we do anything.

 

Dudes in Washington probably think Kyoto is an import car, surprized they didn`t jump on it.LOL

 

Political? survival?