Posted on 10/29/2007 1:13:36 PM PDT by Clive
One of the definitions of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
In that sense, it can be argued the opposition Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and NDP are insane, given their continuing insistence Canada can meet its obligations under the Kyoto accord.
That said, even Stephane Dion, Canada's "green" Liberal leader, didn't think Kyoto was worth fighting an election over.
That's one reason he allowed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's throne speech to pass last week.
Among other things, it said: "It is now widely understood that, because of inaction on greenhouse gases over the last decade, Canada's emissions cannot be brought to the level required under the Kyoto Protocol within the compliance period that begins on Jan. 1, 2008."
In other words, however we got here, Emperor Kyoto has no clothes.
Or, globally speaking, as the science journal Nature put it in its lead article last week, "Time to Ditch Kyoto".
Written by Gwyn Prins, a social scientist at the London School of Economics and Steve Rayner, a respected climate change researcher at Oxford University, they said Kyoto isn't just resting. It's dead.
In December, the United Nations will hold a meeting in Bali to start work on a post-Kyoto agreement. At that time, Canada and the international community will have a choice.
We can keep pretending Kyoto is workable and sign on for more. Or we can start working on a realistic plan that combines pollution reduction with cutting greenhouse gases, invests in clean energy (including nuclear power) and stops pretending we can throw the light switch to "off" on civilization and that nothing bad will happen.
There are excellent reasons to quickly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels outside of Kyoto: We're running out of them; burning them pollutes our environment; and the less we have to rely on the unstable Mideast for oil, the better it will be for global security.
But we can no longer pretend Kyoto's the way to get there or we'll end up where we are now -- running in circles.
...a successful swat at the hand going for your wallet
If they really want to kill Kyoto, they should say they won’t sign unless China does its part, and brings pollution down to the same levels as the so-called “industrial” nations.
China knows how to stonewall and work for its own interests, even if we have forgotten how.
Technological advances should be rewarded. For example, when GM introduces the Volt (a plug-in electric hybrid car), it should get a carbon credit equal to all of the reduction in CO2 that the new technology will bring about. That way, innovative countries will still have an economy, and continue to innovate.
As it is now, Kyoto punishes the west for introducing clean(er) energy technology 30 years ago — and rewards China for having very dirty energy. Under Kyoto, if China upgrades a dirty coal plant, they would receive a huge financial payment from western countries, which made the mistake of upgrading decades ago.
Well this won’t stop countries from dumping on the US for not signing up to Kyoto. Very few countries have come anywhere close to meeting it except for a handful of countries who got some nuclear plants on line recently. Right now nuke energy is the only real way to reduce emissions significantly.
"It is now widely understood that, because of inaction on greenhouse gases over the last decade, Canada's emissions cannot be brought to the level required under the Kyoto Protocol within the compliance period that begins on Jan. 1, 2008."
I rather enjoyed that line in the Speech.
The Opposition parties had ganged up on the government and passed Bill 288 which mandated an immediate implementation of a Liberal governmnent undertaking that the Liberals then failed to make any effort implement for over a decade.
During that decade Canadian carbon emissions rose by over 30 percent while carbon emissions in the US which had not ratified the accord, were going down.
The Opposition thought that it had put the government into an untenable position.
Harper avoided the problem by a parliamentary maneuver. Instead of returning the House from recess and continuing the session he asked the Governor General to prorogue Parliament.
When Parliament prorogued all bills still on the order paper, including those passed but not given Royal Assent, which included Bill 288.
Then the Throne Speech contained this defiance of the bill jammed down the government's throat by the opposition in what amounts to a dare to vote against it and bring down the government or let it alone and avoid an election.
As Harper said: "fish or cut bait".
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This line:
When Parliament prorogued all bills still on the order paper, including those passed but not given Royal Assent, which included Bill 288.
Should have been this:
When Parliament prorogued all bills still on the order paper died, including those passed but not given Royal Assent, which included Bill 288.
WAHT KYOTO NO MO?
CRAP!
and i was so lookin forward to all that kleeen air...
Well one thing’s for sure there are gonna be a passel a p’o’d liberals OUT in TINSEL TOWN thats for certain and i’d hate to have dinner at the goracle mansion i bet he’s snit to be tied....
oh well.....maybe he’ll take a ride in that G-5 he uses....to cool off....
And that, boys n gurls is ONE SWEET SKY PIPE....
CHECK IT OWWT.....i present to you:
THE GULFSTREAM 5
http://www.applematters.com/index.php/gallery/category/C20
Kyoto deserved to die partly because it didnt have any control on China.
By the time the international community comes to any further agreement, China will be #1 emitter of CO2 in the world.
Hopefully the left wing whacknuts in this country will allow nuclear power to be built—I’m not holding my breath though.
ping
You sound like your all for a CO2 cap and trade scam to save us from CO2 induced global warming (which is a myth). Or save us from the evil burning of fossil fuel(which can be burned cleanly). Or give the government more control over which resources we consumers can have though higher taxes(never a good idea).
LET THE MARKET DECIDE
Kept the government out of my pockets
Who are you quoting?
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