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KYOTO: CANADA DROPS OUT
Scrap the Kyoto plan, Ambrose says JEFF SALLOT Globe and Mail Update Ottawa As greenhouse gas emission levels in Canada climb, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose says it's time for the federal government to scrap its Kyoto plan and think about something new. "We're looking at all options," she said yesterday, making it clear the Conservatives think it will take a lot longer to clean up the air than the deadlines adopted by the previous Liberal government. High-level discussions among officials in the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources since the Conservatives took office in February conclude "that it is impossible, impossible for Canada to reach its Kyoto target," Ms. Ambrose said. Instead of reducing the levels of greenhouse gas emissions as specified under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, Canada has seen an actual increase, she said. Canadian emissions had been running about 24 per cent higher than the benchmark level. But Ms. Ambrose said that in Canada's next report to the United Nations the government is going to be in the embarrassing position of having to admit "we're getting close to being up by 30 per cent." Environment Canada officials said later in the day the figure is closer to about 28 per cent. NDP Leader Jack Layton said the Conservative government is being defeatist. "It's as though they're throwing in the towel before we've even begun." The New Democrats like the Kyoto Protocol and say the environment is a keystone issue for their support of the minority Conservative government. The environment is the first item Mr. Layton raised in political discussions with Prime Minister Stephen Harper after the Jan. 23 election. Ms. Ambrose said Canada is not the only country that agreed to the protocol on global warming in Kyoto, Japan, nine years ago only to find now that cutting greenhouse gases is a lot tougher than first thought. The United States, which reneged on the original Kyoto deal, actually has a better track record cutting greenhouse gases than does Canada, Ms. Ambrose said. The Kyoto pact set short-term reduction targets through 2012. These are unrealistic for Canada, the minister said. Instead, Canadians need to talk about "action and solutions long term. We need solutions that are out by 50, 100 years, not two years, five years." The rest is at the link. I do have an issue with the reporter on his statement that the US "reneged" on the Kyoto deal. We never agreed to abide by it so there is no way we reneged. Posted by: Deacon Blues 2006-04-10 |
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