Is it warming, or cooling ?
Posted on 04/14/2005 8:14:33 AM PDT by doc30
$10-billion Kyoto plan tabled in Parliament
Wednesday, April 13, 2005 Updated at 4:37 PM EST Canadian Press and Globe and Mail Update
The Liberal government finally revealed Wednesday its plan to meet Kyoto targets -- spending approximately $10-billion over the next seven years.
The plan requires annual reductions of 270 million tonnes a year within the next seven years, as reported by The Globe and Mail last month.
However, it does not specify how much of that will be obtained by cutting actual pollution and how much by purchasing emissions credits from poor countries.
The plan calls on large emitters to cut emissions by 36 megatonnes, substantially less than the 55 megatonnes called for in the original Kyoto plan.
Morag Carter, the Director of the Climate Change Program at the David Suzuki Foundation pointed out that the plan means the average Canadian will bear the brunt of cutting emissions.
"With our calculations, 74 per cent of targets will be achieved through individual contributions to cut emissions but Canadians are only responsible for 23 per cent of emissions," Ms. Carter told globeandmail.com.
The plan's centrepiece is a $1-billion Climate Fund, which could be increased to up to $5-billion in coming years. It would be used to fund emissions-cutting projects.
The plan is intended to "mobilize Canadians in a national effort" to create a low-carbon economy, and will require frequent revision as times goes on, officials said.
Some environmentalists were highly critical.
"There are significant problems with the plan," Ms. Carter said. "There are no details of how the milestones will be met and there is an absence of instruments in measuring success."
Dale Marshall, of the David Suzuki Foundation, told the Canadian Press that there is "a really disturbing lack of detail" in much of the plan.
"One of the major flaws of the plan is the weak targets for industry which puts an incredible burden on the rest of the Canadian economy," he said.
The details on cost estimates and implementation were revealed Wednesday afternoon by Environment Minister Stéphane Dion, Natural Resources Minister John Efford and Industry Minister David Emerson.
The opposition parties have criticized the Liberals for delaying the announcement, considering that the Kyoto accord took effect nearly two months ago.
Canada signed the agreement, which commits 55 nations, in 2002.
A main component of the plan is to replace coal-fired generating plants with cleaner electricity sources.
It also includes cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions by using new technologies that capture carbon dioxide that would otherwise escape during petroleum production.
Matthew Branley, the director of climate change for the Pembina Institute, spoke to CBC Newsworld on Wednesday about the plan.
"Essentially what the government is expected to announce is it's going to be spending money to essentially purchase emission reductions ... and also through purchasing international credits," said Mr. Branley, a critic of the Kyoto plan.
"Because Canada really has wasted so much time since the Kyoto conference — more than seven years now, our emissions are still rising. We're going to have to make substantial use of purchases of international credits to meet our targets as well."
As do I.. I think we should punish companies who pollute. However, Kyoto was not the answer..
Canada is doing us a great favor. Thanks, eh?
Also Canadians use more fuel per person than Americans because of the long cold winters. So if "Global Warming" is real and caused by mans Co2 (I doubt it) the warmer winters in Canada will reduce the amount fuel burned for heating. This will reduce man made Co2 output. So "Global Warming" is self correcting.
The Kyoto framework is not about reducing global Co2 output. It is a trading system that allows industrialized countries to "buy" emissions credits from third world countries. The effect is a global welfare system under the guise of stopping "Global Warming".
Suckers!
I am shocked - shocked! - to hear you suggest that. Look at how well the Libs have done with the gun control program - sorry, "programme" - a $2 million estimate brought in for the low, low price of...oh. Yeah. OK, well, maybe that one did have a 5000% increase, but hey, they feel good about themselves.
That's the reason - the only reason - I oppose Kyoto. I would strongly support it if it wasn't a bureaucratic, high-cost nightmare...$10 billion (more likely $100 billion) is just too much money for something that may not work!!!
First off I do not believe in man made "Global Warming". I do believe in natural climate change cycles. If I did believe in man made "Global Warming" the logical coarse would be to replace all coal fired power plants in the U.S. with nuke plants. About 55% of electricity production in the U.S. comes from coal.
Absolutely, positively, 100% right on.
Kyoto isn't designed to "work" -- not in the sense you mean it. Instead, it's designed to create a market for emission credits, which will transfer wealth from the first world to the third world.
Kyoto is an international welfare program, not a "clean up the environment program".
and most of these third world countries are full of corrupt governments.
Oh, can, uh, duh. Do you like your Liberals now?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.