Green group sues Canada over greenhouse gases

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | 05-29-07 | Randall Palmer

[death2tyrants]

Green group sues Canada over greenhouse gases By Randall Palmer 2 hours, 37 minutes ago

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Environmental group Friends of the Earth Canada sued the Canadian government on Tuesday for not meeting its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The legal action, filed in the Federal Court in Ottawa, was the first lawsuit against a country for breaching Kyoto, the environmentalists said.

"We must see an end to important programs being dismantled, terminated and slashed -- all part of the pattern of Kyoto denial by the federal government," Beatrice Olivastri, head of Friends of the Earth Canada, said in a statement.

Canada agreed under Kyoto to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases, which come largely from burning oil and other fossil fuels, by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

But as of 2005 they were 25.3 percent above 1990 levels, and the Conservative government, elected last year, says it is impossible to meet Kyoto levels without major economic damage.

[death2tyrants]

Good thing Bush was smart enough not to sign such an unrealistic treaty. A blast from the past:

Canada premier faults US over global warming stance By Miguel Bustillo, Associated Press | December 8, 2005

MONTREAL -- Prime Minister Paul Martin took aim yesterday at the United States for its refusal to negotiate a new global warming treaty, saying at a UN conference that the world's most powerful economy must resume participating in international talks to reduce greenhouse gases.

''Climate change is a global challenge that demands a global response. Yet there are nations that resist, voices that attempt to diminish the urgency or dismiss the science, or declare, either in word or indifference, that this is not our problem to solve. Well, let me tell you, it is our problem to solve," Martin said as he opened the high-level talks at the UN Climate Change Conference here.

Martin's remarks triggered applause from a conference hall filled with delegates from dozens of countries, who are in Montreal to start talks on a new global warming treaty to take effect once the original commitments of the current pact, the Kyoto Protocol, expire in 2012.

Later, at a news conference, Martin, who is in the midst of an election campaign, singled out the United States by name.

He said, ''To the reticent nations, including the United States, I say this: There is such a thing as a global conscience."

The United States, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and Australia are the only two large nations to reject the Kyoto Protocol, which requires developed countries to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases to roughly 5 percent below 1990 levels.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2005/12/08/canada_premier_fa ults_us_over_global_warming_stance/

[NonValueAdded]

Plan for trial: "So I brought this whoopie cushion into the trial under my toque and every time the greenie lawyer sat down, I kinda pushed down on it with my left cheek. It was hilarious!"

[edcoil]

“meet Kyoto levels without major economic damage.”

Should not have agreed to it then. BTW, who gets the money on this and who is covering the costs

[TheDon]

Save the environment,
kill an environmentalist.

[P-40]

sued the Canadian government on Tuesday for not meeting its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol

I guess by not ratifying the treaty we missed out on all that fun.

[xcamel]

FReepmail me to get on or off

Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown

New!!: Dr. John Ray's
GREENIE WATCH

Ping me if you find one I've missed.

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GWN "DUH" alert..

[Reform Canada]

ping

[fanfan]

Canada ping.

Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.

[GMMAC]

"Canada premier faults US over global warming stance "

Suffice to say, Martin - with a little help from his buddy Slick Willie - then went on to lose to the Canadian general election held barely 6 weeks later in a seemingly clear cut case of cause & effect or ...

A key quote from the Party Leaders' debate:

[SRT8]

Sounds like a great idea to me. Perhaps we could encourage them to sue all the EU governments that signed on as well. This could be fun to watch.