Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Happy Canada Day - We're Number, er, Last!

Now I know certain political leaders would prefer we not mention the issue but Canada is doing such a lousy job on the greenhouse gas front that we're dead last among the G8 nations. That's last as in worse than anybody else, bottom of the barrel. From CBC News:

"Nowhere else on Earth do fewer people steward more resources, yet Canada now stands dead last amongst the G8 nations in protecting our shared home from the threat of dangerous climate change," said Keith Steward, director of WWF-Canada's climate change campaign, in a statement Wednesday.

Canada's greenhouse gas emissions are steadily increasing, and its per capita emissions are already among the highest in the world, says the study, conducted by Ecofys, a renewable-energy consulting firm.

Now I know His Igness thinks Canada's economic problems are so bad that we really can't, daren't, mustn't even contemplate meaningful climate change initiatives such as carbon taxes. Best not to point out that all those other countries whose economic woes are as bad or, in some cases, far worse than Canada's aren't letting that stand in their way.

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/07/01/tech-climate-scorecard-wwf.html

2 comments:

LMA said...

But a carbon tax is a "tax on everything", remember? And Canadians won't stand for that, remember? Sometimes I wonder if we are just getting the leaders we deserve. Do Canadians have the will to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Do Canadians have the will to pay carbon taxes? Do Canadians have the will to say no to Tar Sands development? I wonder.

The Mound of Sound said...

Who knows LMA, you might be right. I used to think I understood what liberalism was about, that it meant more than belonging to just another team. Just as conscientious Republicanism died with Nixon, so too perhaps, genuine liberalism was schucked by our own party during the weak, indecisive and tragic Dion years. We seem to be so desperate for someone to restore our fundraising and membership that we've become willing to compromise just about all our values. I see so many willing to look the other way.