The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Still Looking for the Magic Wand.

 

In this case the sorcerer's apprentice is our prime minister and the magic wand he quests for is carbon capture and sequestration. It's that wand that will make his plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions from fossil energy production feasible.

The problem behind the bold promise is that magic wand may not exist, not remotely on the scale that would be needed for Mr. Trudeau's emissions caps.

The Georgia Straight's Charlie Smith calls Mr. Trudeau's plan pure sophistry.

Let's face reality: there is no way on Earth that carbon capture and storage is going to be able to suck up 100 million tonnes of existing emissions per year, let alone future emissions.

It isn't going to happen for reasons outlined in this article. To suggest otherwise is a betrayal of young people and future generations.

“Climate action can’t wait," Trudeau said in the news release on the prime minister's website. "Since 2015, Canada has been a committed partner in the fight against climate change, and as we move to a net-zero future, we will continue to do our part to cut pollution and build a cleaner future for everyone."

In fact, Trudeau's cabinet approved two major pipeline projects in 2016, a massive liquefied-natural-gas plant in 2018, and repeatedly voiced support for the Keystone XL pipeline project in the face of intense opposition from many Democrats in the United States.

It was a lie that Canada has "been a committed partner in the fight against climate change" since 2015.

Canada has by far the worst emissions record of any G7 country since 1990.

The numbers don't lie. Canada is a laggard and will continue to be a laggard until members of the Liberal Party rise up and throw Trudeau out of the prime minister's office.

Just because he appointed a former activist as his minister of environment and climate change isn't likely to change the reality, given what we've seen in the 13 years since Trudeau was elected to Parliament.

It's always been PR with Trudeau on the climate. And if history offers any lessons, it will continue to be PR—along with a whole lot of happy talk about carbon capture and storage.

We are at a point where lofty rhetoric and vague promises aren't enough. There's no time to indulge Mr. Trudeau's empty promises, not with his track record going back to 2015.