Bwaaa ha ha. |
Posted on 11/25/2004 10:59:05 PM PST by FairOpinion
OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada, one of the major backers of the Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse emissions, is failing to comply with the pact, a leading Canadian lawmaker said.
Senator Tommy Banks charged that government had failed in one of its key aims in implementing Kyoto -- that of persuading every Canadian to reduce greenhouse emissions by the equivalent of one tonne (or 20 percent) per year.
The government had failed to provide sufficient incentives and had not explained the plan well enough to Canadians, said Banks, a member of the governing Liberal Party.
"So far," said Banks, "the 'one-tonne challenge' has failed to engage Canadians."
Canadians produce on average five tonnes of greenhouse emissions per year, so the 'one-tonne challenge' translated to a 20 percent cut. But Canadians didn't know how, or why to do it, Banks said.
"Not every Canadian understands that the emissions that we put into the air have weight and that these emissions are endangering thew world's climate in ways that will have devastating effects on the lives of our children and future generations," said Banks.
Banks was presenting a report by the Senate's standing committee on energy and the environment, which pointed out that 50 percent of Canadians' greenhouse gas emissions was from motor vehicles, 29 percent from space heating, 11 percent from water heating and 7.5 percent from household appliances.
The committee called on the government to carry out a better education programme and introduce fiscal incentives such as a five-year moratorium on sales taxes on the retail purchase of "all energy-saving and energy efficient consumer products, except motor-vehicles."
a $5 tax on a gallon of gas might do it. see how much those Canadians love Kyoto after that.
If Canada is for it, I'm against it. The US and Canada are on divergent paths.
In a couple of decades Canada will be part of the Islamic Republic if it continues its current immigration policies.
But if they don't emit the gases then they'll be full of hot air... oh wait, too late.
One of Canada's dirty little secrets is that the Federal government is utterly incapable of enforcing treaties of this kind if there is even a small part of the population that has no interest in obeying it. If I had to come up with one adjective to describe Canada as a nation, the word "ungovernable" would come to mind very quickly.
I think the entire Kyoto treaty was devised to bring down the US as an economic power. They wanted us to be forced to abide by it, thereby literally killing our economy, while everyone else legally or illegally would ignore it. (The Kyoto treaty was not going to impose any restriction on the "developing nations" which happen to be the most polluting ones.)
Bush was very wise not to sign it.
Bwaaa ha ha. |
Hmmmm, fuzzy math skills required.
So, each person in Canada, in order to meet Kyoto goals, will have to forgo: 10% of their driving/shipping/public transportation, 5.8% of their home heat, 2.2% of their hot water, and 1.5% of ther other household energy use.
I am not certain of my math, but it sounds like this would never fly.
Like all Socialists, they're best at running OTHER people's lives.
<< Canada .... is failing >>
Rubbish.
It failed absolutely.
decades ago.
<< A bunch of hypocrits. >>
Absolutely.
Populating a decidedly un-and-anti-American unfriendly state!
<< .... the entire Kyoto treaty was devised to bring down the US as an economic power .... ....
[United States of America's President and Armed-Forces Commander-In-Chief] Bush was very wise not to sign it. >>
No he wasn't.
He was constrained by Law from signing it.
It was rejected 99 to 0 by the United states Senate which must ratify all treaties before they are signed by mere presidents.
The Senate had already rejected Kyoto by a 97-0 vote. There was absolutely no downside...
The only reason Bush is taking political heat is because, in publicly rejecting Kyoto, he obviously didn't take it "seriously".
"Global warming" is one of those things that one talks about as if it were a serious issue, before casually voting "No" (but never "No friggin' way!").
I can't imagine why Russia decided to sign it. The treaty was going to collapse without Russia's signature.
Maybe the Canadians decided the living in the stone age due to a government decree wasn't such a bright idea after all.
Start date set for Kyoto treaty
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4022283.stm
The Kyoto Protocol on fighting climate change is to become a legally binding treaty on 16 February, the UN has said.
Russia handed official ratification papers to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Nairobi on Thursday.
Russia's accession gives Kyoto support from countries that emit at least 55% of the world's greenhouse gases.
The protocol commits 55 industrialised nations to making significant cuts in the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide by the year 2012.
The US, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, withdrew from the protocol in 2001, saying it would gravely damage the US economy.
The Bush administration also criticised the protocol for not forcing developing nations including India and China to cut emissions immediately.
Australia, which has a large coal industry, has also refused to ratify Kyoto.
The protocol was first agreed in 1997, but required the agreement of countries responsible for at least 55% of global emissions measured in 1990.
After the US pulled out, the protocol could not be ratified without Russia, responsible for 17% of emissions.
Industrialised countries will have until 2012 to cut their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases to 5.2% below the 1990 level.
But some experts have claimed that a drastic cut of around 60% is needed to avoid the worst effects of global warming.
Interesting that, say, a 20% improvement in emissions from a motor vehicle -- which would have the greatest favorable impact on the vaunted "one tonne challenge" -- isn't considered worthy.
In other words, don't create incentives where it will do the most good. Like any good liberal body, the commission is only interested in symbolic measures (and collecting taxes).
(Hands on hips) Bad Canada! No! Dirty, dirty, dirty country. (Wagging finger) Bad country!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
Oh, wait! You mean it wasn't just a feel-good exercise? We have to do what?