Enviro-babble

National Post ^ | 2007-08-11 | (editorial page)

[Clive]

Canada's premiers and territorial leaders held their annual meeting in Moncton this week. The main agenda item was global warming. And so it was that on Thursday, the leaders paraded to the microphone and pronounced themselves committed to a greener world. But instead of offering practical plans, they served up hypocritical rhetoric designed for voters back home.

The worst offenders were Ontario's Dalton McGuinty and B.C.'s Gordon Campbell. Throughout the summit, Mr. Mc-Guinty did his best to paint Alberta as Canada's climate bogeyman. While never identifying the province by name, the Ontario Premier repeatedly stated that the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide should bear the pain of any climate change plan before Ontario made sacrifices. Since Alberta is the only emitter bigger than Ontario, it was obvious who Mr. McGuinty was talking about.

But Ontario, with nearly a third of the nation's population, is the country's biggest consumer of Alberta's energy. An Ontario motorist is not responsible only for the carbon his car produces by burning gasoline, but also for the carbon released up the oil-pumping and gas-refining production chain. If Mr. McGuinty is so worried about the greenhouse emissions produced in Alberta, why doesn't he levy a carbon tax?

The answer, of course, is simple: It would be political suicide.

Consider also that the same Ontario premier who has called a national cap on carbon emissions "absolutely essential" has given General Motors $235-million to refit an Oshawa car plant to make the 2008 Chevy Camaro, a 400 horsepower, 6.0 litre V8, carbon-belching behemoth -- the first true muscle car to hit production in more than two decades.

Premier Campbell exhibited the same do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do syndrome. While touting his government's new green agenda, the B.C. government quietly let it be known that it is seeking an increase in coal production of nearly 40% over the next 10 years. All the extra production is destined for overseas electrical generation stations, steel mills and factories --none of which are subject to made-in-Canada carbon caps. Mr. Campbell is all in favour of saving the planet, so long as someone else has to foot the bill.

On one hand, all of this empty enviro-babble is annoying. On the other hand, it at least has the benefit of leaving the status quo unchanged. As we have written before, we are opposed to any carbon-control scheme that hobbles the economy or singles out any region for hardship.

But there was never a chance that any real plan would come out of Moncton: Our premiers are more interested in raising their poll numbers than lowering the Earth's temperature.

[Clive]

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[fanfan]

[GBA]

A 2008 400 horsepower, 6.0 litre V8, carbon-belching behemoth Chevy Camaro — the first true muscle car to hit production in more than two decades? I think there are some Ford Mustang owners who would dispute the “first true muscle car to hit production in more than two decades” part, but I still want one! I think it would be a hoot to do some burnouts with it in front of the energy sucking ecomanbearpig Algore’s mansion.

[goldstategop]

The global warming hoax is a great vote getter and fund raising tool for politicians. They know its a hoax as evidenced by the fact NONE of them offers serious proposals to lower the Earth's temperature. Of course there is NO evidence there is a climate problem or that its even caused by man. Yet the fact that people are gullible enough to fall for such quackery is a sorry indication of the level of intelligence of contemporary Western society.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[G8 Diplomat]

Moonbats at work. Lead by Pastor Al Gore of the Church of Climate Change.