=
PM
should try copying these words
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's campaign has received worldwide med=
ia attention
following the admission he copied a speech by former Australian prime minis=
ter
John Howard. If only he would copy the speeches and policies of leaders aro=
und
the world who are committed to taking action on climate change.
Canadians
would be pleasantly surprised if he copied a speech by David Cameron, leade=
r of
Echoing a
speech by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he would follow the advice of th=
e
Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Harper would
say, "The report of the IPCC has once again made it crystal clear: cli=
mate
change is man-made and is accelerating. The impact will be dramatic, unless=
we
take resolute action."
Merkel
talked about the consequences of inaction: "Studies have shown that
unchecked climate change is likely to result in at least a 5 per cent reduc=
tion
and possibly even a 20 per cent reduction in global GDP. Effective action t=
o
protect the climate would cost a good deal less."
During a
speech in
Putting a
price on carbon is an effective way to encourage the transition to a
sustainable economy. Countries such as
The
recent debate on climate change has focused on the inconvenience of a carbo=
n
tax. What is missing is the sense of what is at stake – the devastati=
ng
consequences of inaction.
But if we
take action now, there is hope. The international community can come togeth=
er
to solve environmental problems. We can learn from the success of the Montr=
eal
Protocol. The ozone layer was threatened, because of ozone-depleting
chlorofluorocarbons produced by humans. Because the international community=
committed
to taking unified action, the ozone layer is now recovering.
We are
electing the government that will represent
Our
government has claimed it is showing leadership, but in reality,
If Harper
copied a speech by
Mike
Buckthought is Sierra Club
PM
should try copying these words
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's campaign has received worldwide med=
ia
attention following the admission he copied a speech by former Australian p=
rime
minister John Howard. If only he would copy the speeches and policies of
leaders around the world who are committed to taking action on climate chan=
ge.
Canadians
would be pleasantly surprised if he copied a speech by David Cameron, leade=
r of
Echoing a
speech by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he would follow the advice of th=
e
Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Harper would
say, "The report of the IPCC has once again made it crystal clear: cli=
mate
change is man-made and is accelerating. The impact will be dramatic, unless=
we
take resolute action."
Merkel
talked about the consequences of inaction: "Studies have shown that
unchecked climate change is likely to result in at least a 5 per cent reduc=
tion
and possibly even a 20 per cent reduction in global GDP. Effective action t=
o
protect the climate would cost a good deal less."
During a
speech in
Putting a
price on carbon is an effective way to encourage the transition to a
sustainable economy. Countries such as
The
recent debate on climate change has focused on the inconvenience of a carbo=
n
tax. What is missing is the sense of what is at stake – the devastati=
ng
consequences of inaction.
But if we
take action now, there is hope. The international community can come togeth=
er
to solve environmental problems. We can learn from the success of the Montr=
eal
Protocol. The ozone layer was threatened, because of ozone-depleting
chlorofluorocarbons produced by humans. Because the international community
committed to taking unified action, the ozone layer is now recovering.
We are
electing the government that will represent
Our
government has claimed it is showing leadership, but in reality,
If Harper
copied a speech by
Mike
Buckthought is Sierra Club
"The nat=
ion's
first law to control greenhouse gas emissions by curbing sprawl." =
;
|
|
|
PRESS RELEASE |
|
09/30/2008 GAAS:694:08
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Sweepin=
g
Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Land-Use Continuing
The Council will also manage and award grants and loan=
s to
support the planning and development of sustainable communities.
|
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM=
.20081008.wlakes08/BNStory/National/home
Oil
sands will pollute
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
October 8, 2008 at 1:55 AM EDT
The environmental impacts of Alberta's oil sands=
will
not be restricted to Western Canada, researchers say, but will extend thous=
ands
of kilometres away to the Great Lakes, threatening water and air quality ar=
ound
the world's largest body of fresh water.
In a new report, the
It warns that the refineries will be using the <=
st1:place
w:st=3D"on">Great Lakes “as a cheap supply” source =
for
their copious water needs and the area's air “as a pollution dump.=
221;
The report, which is being released today at a
conference at the university, says that as many as 17 major refinery expans=
ions
around the lakes are being considered for turning the tar-like
Proposed pipeline and refinery projects around t=
he
lakes are expected to lead to total investments of more than $31-billion (<=
st1:country-region
w:st=3D"on">
The massive expenditures are needed because typi=
cal
refineries can't process heavy crude derived from tar sands without costly
upgrades.
“This expansion promises to bring with it =
an
exponential increase in pollution, discharges into waterways including the =
Most of the projected spending is on the
However, two big Canadian companies, TransCanada
Pipelines Ltd. with its Keystone project, and Enbridge Inc., with its Alber=
ta
Clipper project, are vying to build pipelines to bring crude from the tar s=
ands
to
The report says the environmental effects in
Policy makers around the lakes, in both
Some of the harshest criticism is for the
There has been one major dispute in the
The 54-page report, called How the Oil Sands Got=
To
The Great Lakes Basin, is being issued by the Munk Centre's program on wate=
r
issues.
Among its recommendations is a call for refineri=
es to
offset all of the additional carbon dioxide emissions they produce because =
of
the difficulty of processing oil sands crude.
These emissions are estimated at 2.3 million ton=
nes a
year, or about the same amount as produced by about 500,000 typically drive=
n
cars. Another recommendation is to require all refinery expansions to meet =
Matthew Firth
Senior Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
mfirth at cupe.ca<=
/font>
Hi all,
Please see the story below, a breakthrough and s=
uccess
led by Sister Denise MacDonald from
http://cupe.ca/env=
ironment/CUPE-Local-adopts-Wo
CUPE
Local adopts Workplace Environmental Policy
![3D"CUPE](3D"http://cupe.ca/updir/images/display/CUPE_3012_Composting.JPG")
October 8, 2008 11:49 AM=
Denise
MacDonald of CUPE Local 3012 wanted to improve the environmental record of =
her
workplace. Sister MacDonald knows that many of us make environmental
changes at home, but often those same changes don=92t happen at work. =
She
decided to change that and has been rewarded by successfully negotiating a
Green Policy for her workplace.
The
policy commits her employer and her fellow CUPE Local 3012 members at the
Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation to =93conserve the earth=
=92s
resources in our professional lives.=94 The aim of the policy is to:
=93improve our quality of life by reducing air pollution and the greenhouse=
gas
emissions that cause global warming.=94
MacDonald
says a workplace environmental policy makes sense because, =93It makes peop=
le
aware that they can make a difference at work and in their every day
lives.=94 She believes other CUPE Locals should adopt green workplace
policies.
MacDonald
has been a committed environmental activist for many years. She got t=
he
idea to green her workplace on her own. She then contacted CUPE Natio=
nal
to get environmental information and resources (such as Healthy, Clean & GREEN) to help guide her to devel=
op a
policy. A few months later, Sister MacDonald has her policy.
The
green plan for MacDonald=92s workplace focuses on reducing waste, conservin=
g
energy, using alternative forms of transportation, conducting green meeting=
s,
and using sustainable purchasing practices to lower the environmental impac=
t of
work. The full policy can be read here.
Adopting
a workplace environmental policy is one way CUPE members can participate in
greening their workplaces, while helping to make our communities more susta=
inable.
CUPE=92s Strategic Directions document from 2007 National Conve=
ntion
calls on Locals, with the assistance of CUPE staff, to meet global green
targets by cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.
For
more information on how to develop a workplace environmental policy,
contact Matthew Firth (mfirth at cupe.ca) at CUPE National office.
cope
491
http://scfp.ca/env=
ironment/CUPE-Local-adopts-Wo
Une =
section
locale du SCFP adopte une politique environnementale au travail
![3D"Une](3D"http://scfp.ca/updir/images/display/CUPE_3012_Composting-0.JPG")
le 8 octobre 2008 11:49
Denise MacDonald, de la section lo=
cale
3012 du SCFP, souhaitait am=E9liorer le bilan environnemental de son milieu=
de
travail. La cons=9Cur MacDonald constatait que, m=EAme si nous sommes
nombreux =E0 adopter des comportements plus =E9cologiques =E0 la maison, no=
us n=92en
faisons pas toujours autant au travail. Elle a donc entrepris de chan=
ger
les choses et ses efforts ont port=E9 fruit : elle a pu n=E9gocier une poli=
tique
environnementale pour son milieu de travail.
Cette politique met =E0 contributi=
on son
employeur et ses coll=E8gues membres de la section locale 3012 du SCFP (Con=
seil
de la Saskatchewan pour la coop=E9ration internationale) =AB pour pr=E9serv=
er les
ressources de la plan=E8te dans le cadre de notre travail et am=E9liorer no=
tre
qualit=E9 de vie, en r=E9duisant la pollution de l=92air et les =E9missions=
de gaz =E0
effet de serre qui causent le r=E9chauffement climatique =BB.
Mme MacDonald affirme que l=92adop=
tion de
pratiques =E9cologiques en milieu de travail est une initiative =E9clair=E9=
e car =AB
cela permet aux gens de prendre conscience de leur pouvoir de faire avancer=
les
choses, au travail et dans leur vie quotidienne =BB. Elle estime que
d=92autres sections locales du SCFP devraient mettre en place ce genre de
politique.
Depuis plusieurs ann=E9es, Denise
MacDonald milite pour l=92environnement. C=92est elle qui a eu l=92id=E9e d=
e faire
prendre le virage vert =E0 son lieu de travail. Elle a communiqu=E9 a=
vec le
SCFP national pour obtenir de la documentation et des outils (dont le progr=
amme
SAIN, PROPRE ET VERT) pour mieux d=E9finir son projet.=
Quelques mois plus tard, la politique est en place.
Le plan vert de Denise MacDonald e=
st ax=E9
sur la r=E9duction des d=E9chets, la conservation de l=92=E9nergie, les tra=
nsports
alternatifs, les r=E9unions z=E9ro carbone et les pratiques d=92achats dura=
bles pour
r=E9duire l=92empreinte environnementale du milieu de travail. Les d=
=E9tails du
plan sont expos=E9s ici.
L=92adoption d=92une politique ver=
te en
milieu de travail est l=92un des moyens, pour les membres du SCFP, d=92avoi=
r une
vie professionnelle plus =E9cologique tout en rendant les collectivit=E9s p=
lus
viables. Le document d=92orientation strat=E9gique du SCFP, ent=E9=
rin=E9 au
congr=E8s de 2007, incite les sections locales =E0 atteindre, avec l=92aide=
des
conseillers du SCFP, des cibles mondiales en r=E9duisant les =E9missions de=
gaz =E0
effet de serre.
Pour en savoir plus sur les moyens=
=E0
prendre pour =E9laborer une politique verte au travail, communiquez avec Ma=
tthew
Firth (mf=
irth at cupe.ca)
au bureau du SCFP national.
sepb 491
Matthew Firth
Senior Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
mfirth at cupe.ca
Matthew,
Thanks very much for this information =
and congratulations
Denise!=A0 I think we should put this on the website and we will circulate =
this
success widely.
Stan
From:
Sent: Wednesday, October 08,=
2008
1:38 PM
To: Environment
Cc: Denise MacDonald - SCIC<=
br>
Subject: CUPE Local adopts
workplace environmental policy
Hi all,
Please see the story below, a breakthrough and s=
uccess
led by Sister Denise MacDonald from
http://cupe.ca/env=
ironment/CUPE-Local-adopts-Wo
CUPE
Local adopts Workplace Environmental Policy
October 8, 2008 11:49 AM=
Denise
MacDonald of CUPE Local 3012 wanted to improve the environmental record of =
her
workplace. Sister MacDonald knows that many of us make environmental
changes at home, but often those same changes don=92t happen at work. =
She
decided to change that and has been rewarded by successfully negotiating a
Green Policy for her workplace.
The
policy commits her employer and her fellow CUPE Local 3012 members at the
Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation to =93conserve the earth=
=92s
resources in our professional lives.=94 The aim of the policy is to:
=93improve our quality of life by reducing air pollution and the greenhouse=
gas
emissions that cause global warming.=94
MacDonald
says a workplace environmental policy makes sense because, =93It makes peop=
le
aware that they can make a difference at work and in their every day
lives.=94 She believes other CUPE Locals should adopt green workplace
policies.
MacDonald
has been a committed environmental activist for many years. She got t=
he
idea to green her workplace on her own. She then contacted CUPE Natio=
nal
to get environmental information and resources (such as Healthy, Clean & GREEN) to help guide her to devel=
op a
policy. A few months later, Sister MacDonald has her policy.
The
green plan for MacDonald=92s workplace focuses on reducing waste, conservin=
g
energy, using alternative forms of transportation, conducting green meeting=
s,
and using sustainable purchasing practices to lower the environmental impac=
t of
work. The full policy can be read here.
Adopting
a workplace environmental policy is one way CUPE members can participate in
greening their workplaces, while helping to make our communities more
sustainable. CUPE=92s Strategic Directions document from 2007 National Conve=
ntion
calls on Locals, with the assistance of CUPE staff, to meet global green
targets by cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.
For
more information on how to develop a workplace environmental policy,
contact
cope
491
http://scfp.ca/env=
ironment/CUPE-Local-adopts-Wo
Une =
section
locale du SCFP adopte une politique environnementale au travail
le 8 octobre 2008 11:49
Denise MacDonald, de la section lo=
cale
3012 du SCFP, souhaitait am=E9liorer le bilan environnemental de son milieu=
de
travail. La cons=9Cur MacDonald constatait que, m=EAme si nous sommes=
nombreux
=E0 adopter des comportements plus =E9cologiques =E0 la maison, nous n=92en=
faisons pas
toujours autant au travail. Elle a donc entrepris de changer les chos=
es
et ses efforts ont port=E9 fruit : elle a pu n=E9gocier une politique
environnementale pour son milieu de travail.
Cette politique met =E0 contributi=
on son
employeur et ses coll=E8gues membres de la section locale 3012 du SCFP (Con=
seil
de la Saskatchewan pour la coop=E9ration internationale) =AB pour pr=E9serv=
er les
ressources de la plan=E8te dans le cadre de notre travail et am=E9liorer no=
tre
qualit=E9 de vie, en r=E9duisant la pollution de l=92air et les =E9missions=
de gaz =E0
effet de serre qui causent le r=E9chauffement climatique =BB.
Mme MacDonald affirme que l=92adop=
tion de
pratiques =E9cologiques en milieu de travail est une initiative =E9clair=E9=
e car =AB
cela permet aux gens de prendre conscience de leur pouvoir de faire avancer=
les
choses, au travail et dans leur vie quotidienne =BB. Elle estime que
d=92autres sections locales du SCFP devraient mettre en place ce genre de p=
olitique.
Depuis plusieurs ann=E9es, Denise
MacDonald milite pour l=92environnement. C=92est elle qui a eu l=92id=E9e d=
e faire
prendre le virage vert =E0 son lieu de travail. Elle a communiqu=E9 a=
vec le
SCFP national pour obtenir de la documentation et des outils (dont le progr=
amme
SAIN, PROPRE ET VERT) pour mieux d=E9finir son projet.=
Quelques mois plus tard, la politique est en place.
Le plan vert de Denise MacDonald e=
st ax=E9
sur la r=E9duction des d=E9chets, la conservation de l=92=E9nergie, les tra=
nsports
alternatifs, les r=E9unions z=E9ro carbone et les pratiques d=92achats dura=
bles pour
r=E9duire l=92empreinte environnementale du milieu de travail. Les d=
=E9tails du
plan sont expos=E9s ici.
L=92adoption d=92une politique ver=
te en
milieu de travail est l=92un des moyens, pour les membres du SCFP, d=92avoi=
r une
vie professionnelle plus =E9cologique tout en rendant les collectivit=E9s p=
lus
viables. Le document d=92orientation strat=E9gique du SCFP, ent=E9=
rin=E9 au
congr=E8s de 2007, incite les sections locales =E0 atteindre, avec l=92aide=
des conseillers
du SCFP, des cibles mondiales en r=E9duisant les =E9missions de gaz =E0 eff=
et de
serre.
Pour en savoir plus sur les moyens=
=E0
prendre pour =E9laborer une politique verte au travail, communiquez avec
sepb 491
Senior Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
mfirth at cupe.ca
fyi …
From:
Sent: Thursday, October 09, =
2008
4:27 PM
To: CANET-L at YORKU.CA
Subject: Election Alert - Da=
vid
Suzuki to host "The Current" Friday
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
![](3D"http://www.davidsuzuki.org/images/subpage/htmlemailtemplatelogo.gi=)
![](3D"http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/email_banners/News.jpg")
![](3D"http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/jpgemails/the_current.jpg")
Hi Nature Challengers - ![](3D"http://www.davidsuzuki.org/images/subpage/tagline.gif")
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/517094
Climate change still first priority, sa=
ys
international union
Oct 14, 2008 02:33 PM
REUTERS
BARCELONA–A global network of governments, scienti=
sts and
conservationists have called for deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2=
050
and said financial turmoil must not sideline work to safeguard animals and
plants.
"The clear message coming out of this meeting is th=
at
biodiversity underpins the well-being of human societies and their
economies," said Julia Marton-Lefevre, head of the International Union=
for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in a statement at the end of a 10-day IUCN
congress in
The IUCN calls itself the world's oldest and largest
environmental network. Almost 8,000 delegates attended the
"We're showing how saving nature must be an integra=
l
part of the solution for any world crisis," Marton-Lefevre said.
Delegates made a non-binding plea to governments to cut
emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide by between 50 and 85 percent by 2=
050
and to limit global warming to less than 2 Celsius above pre-industrial tim=
es.
More than 190 governments are due to agree a new UN clim=
ate
treaty by the end of 2009, meant to help avert rising sea levels, heatwaves=
,
species extinctions, droughts and floods.
The IUCN called for guidelines and improved standards fo=
r
biofuels projects. Biofuels help cut carbon emissions from burning fossil f=
uels
but land cleared to grow biofuel crops can wreck habitats for animals and o=
ther
plants.
"Participants underlined ... that the cost of
biodiversity losses are not only greater than those of the current financia=
l
problems, but in many cases, they are irreparable," the IUCN statement
said.
The Congress elected
The
big loser: us
Dan
Gardner, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, October 15, 2008
In
September, 2007, an
What a
difference a year can make.
Even
before I knew who won yesterday's election, I knew who lost. We did. All of=
us.
We said climate change was urgent. Somebody has to do something, we insisted.<= o:p>
Then came
the election and somebody promised to do something and somebody else said i=
t
was too risky and polls found the do-something leader was sinking and the
do-less leader rising. So the do-something leader talked less about climate
change and more about how very scary the other guy is and when the global
financial crisis hit he started running around in circles, flapping his arm=
s,
and shouting that the sky is falling -- not because the climate that govern=
s
all life on earth is changing but because the other guy doesn't have a 30-d=
ay
plan to hold meetings and come up with a plan to do something about a finan=
cial
crisis the Canadian government can do very little about.
We should
be embarrassed. Given a chance to have a discussion about climate change an=
d
the choices we face, Canadians talked about gaffes, blue sweaters and ATM f=
ees.
And Julie
Couillard. I haven't tallied the column inches, but I'm pretty sure she got
more ink than climate change.
And
please, let's keep the chronology clear. The global financial crisis did no=
t
derail what would otherwise have been a substantive discussion of climate
change. The Conservative response to the Liberal "green shift"
proposal -- "too risky" -- was set months before the election and=
was
in high gear long before the markets started blowing sparks. Similarly, it =
was
long before the market meltdown that the Liberals started treating the gree=
n
shift like a crazy aunt locked in the attic.
We didn't
have a serious discussion about climate change because Canadians didn't dem=
and
it. We didn't reward those who wanted to talk about it. We didn't punish th=
ose
who changed the subject.
We
shrugged -- all of us, media and public alike -- and talked about pooping
puffins instead.
The harsh
description for this is hypocrisy but that word has a certain gravitas that
doesn't quite fit here. It would be more precise to say we are, collectivel=
y, a
flighty little country.
A year
ago, Canadians said the environment -- and climate change in particular -- =
is
our top concern. Ten months ago, one-third of Canadians said climate change=
is
the world's top problem, far more than those who named any other issue,
including inequality, human rights and terrorism.
A mere
three months ago, a survey asked Canadians if they agreed that aggressive
action must be taken despite the high cost of energy or if Canada should
respond cautiously "so that we don't drive up the cost of fuel and the
cost of living even further." One-quarter chose the go-slow approach; =
61
per cent said they supported aggressive action.
Pollsters
were convinced the Conservatives had to get religion quick. "The risk =
here
for the government is that they may not have the same priorities or see the
same risks as the public," Peter Donolo of the Strategic Counsel obser=
ved
last year.
The
phrase "climate change" or "global warming" didn't appe=
ar
in the Conservatives' 2006 election platform but Stephen Harper's message d=
id
begin to change dramatically in 2007.
Climate
change is "a serious threat to the health and well-being of
Canadians," he said in February of that year. He would soon declare
climate change "perhaps the biggest threat to confront the future of
humanity today." Next the prime minister was promising that
But when
the election began, the menace Harper fought was St=E9phane Dion's plan to =
impose
a carbon tax and use the funds raised to reduce income and other taxes. It
would be a disaster, he shouted while running around in circles and flappin=
g
his arms. It would destroy the economy.
Harper
promised to cut the federal tax on diesel -- an excellent way to increase f=
uel
consumption and carbon emissions -- and when the Conservative platform was
finally released near the end of the campaign, the phrase "climate
change" or "global warming" was nowhere to be seen.
Was
Harper punished for so blatantly betraying what he had said before? Not at =
all.
That would have required the media to compare and contrast but journalists =
were
too busy with polls and bar-stool political analysis to bother.
And most
Canadians didn't care, it seems.
Sure,
climate may be the most important issue facing the planet. It may even be, =
as
Stephen Harper once said, the biggest threat to the future of humanity.
But it's
no Julie Couillard.
Dan Gardner
Sen=
ior
Officer
Health, Safety &
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/st=
ory.html?id=3D678a23be-d9ea-4eda-a273-a43881ef67b4
Harper
unveils climate aid fund
Canada
Montreal=
Published: 8:39 am
The
funds would be destined particularly to "small, insular and vulnerable
states," Harper told the closing news conference of the Francophonie
summit.
"Countries
like
A
statement on the announcement singled out "small island developing sta=
tes,
particularly in Africa, the
Harper said the funds are provided for in the last budge= t, although an announcement had not been made before Sunday. Funds would be distributed through international organizations, including the World Bank.<= o:p>
"We anticipate most of this money from the Governme=
nt
of Canada's perspective to be distributed to international organizations in
this fiscal year," Harper said.
The
news conference brought to an end the summit of the Francophonie, a 55-memb=
er
organization of governments with French-speaking populations.
The
meeting was often overshadowed by the financial crisis, which forced French
President Nicolas Sarkozy to shorten his visit Friday in order to meet with
U.S. President George Bush to discuss the crisis.
Participants
said the summit gave a voice to poorer countries forgotten during the finan=
cial
crisis.
"The
interests of the whole planet will be taken into consideration and not just=
the
interests of very few countries," said Quebec Premier Jean Charest.
Sen=
ior
Officer
Health, Safety &
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
FYI … a nice summary of what happened with climat=
e change
during the election and of what lies ahead …
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.=
html?id=3Dbb54274d-1d9b-4187-a9f4-a641b67b33b9
Reluctant
environmentalists
Why a
carbon tax is coming, whether Canadians like it or not
Don
Butler, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, October 18, 2008
Does our
enthusiasm for fighting climate change evaporate if we have to open our
wallets?
The
question is in the air after voters soundly rejected parties with the most
robust climate-change policies this week and re-elected the one with the
weakest program for addressing what many see as an existential threat.
The
Liberal party made the Green Shift the centrepiece of its campaign. It, amo=
ng
other things, called for a carbon tax and offsetting cuts in personal and
corporate levies. For its pains, the party attracted its lowest share of th=
e
popular vote ever.
The
Green party, which advocated similar policies, saw its share of the vote gr=
ow,
but again elected no one.
In
Going
into the election, environmentalists thought it would be easier to sell
effective climate-change policies, says pollster Darrell Bricker of Ipsos-R=
eid.
"Al Gore was winning Academy Awards and everybody seemed to be talking
about global warming."
But
Canadians' appetite for carbon taxes was already waning thanks to soaring
gasoline prices, he says. As the financial crisis came to dominate the
election's final weeks, voter interest in the environment fell precipitousl=
y.
Still,
the election outcome suggests a disconnect between what Canadians say they =
want
and what they're prepared to do to make it happen. "We're all still fr=
ee
riders," says Nancy Olewiler, an economist and director of the public
policy program at
The
election, she says, did little to advance public understanding of the avail=
able
options for addressing climate change. "I'm deeply disappointed."=
Most
Canadians still aren't taking responsibility for their actions that contrib=
ute
to climate change, says Stephen Hazell, executive director of the Sierra Cl=
ub.
"The proportion of Canadians that are really thinking about how they c=
an
reduce their emissions is very, very small.
"It's
easy to blame Imperial Oil for everything. Certainly industry is responsibl=
e
for a huge share. But ultimately, we buy their products."
Stewart
Elgie, a law professor and associate director of the
The party
advocated a cap-and-trade regime for large polluters, but denounced a carbo=
n
tax as an attack on the wallets of ordinary Canadians.
"They
played to the lowest common denominator, which was 'it's the other guy's
problem'," Mr. Elgie says.
Doug
Macdonald, a senior lecturer at the University of Toronto's Centre for
That
points to a real-world barrier that climate-change activists have yet to
surmount -- namely that in politics as in war, the first casualty is the tr=
uth.
In the
election campaign, Stephen Harper was able to paint the Green Shift as a ta=
x
grab that would plunge
That sort
of characterization is part of politics, shrugs Mr. Elgie. "It's a blo=
od
sport, and if you come in with a strategy that's vulnerable to being attack=
ed,
you have to be prepared to be attacked on it."
It
didn't help that the Green Shift's main salesman was St=E9phane Dion, whose
tortured speech often baffled anglophone audiences, Mr. Hazell says.
"People were sort of straining to understand what he said."
Part of
the problem is that climate change is incremental, occurring over many deca=
des,
which makes it hard to instil a sense of urgency. "We're in the
boiled-frog effect," says Marlo Raynolds, executive director of the
Pembina Institute. "We're sitting in the water and it's getting hotter=
and
hotter, and we're not really recognizing it."
But Mr.
Bricker says it would be wrong for environmentalists to be discouraged. It =
took
the biggest financial meltdown since the Depression to push the environment=
off
the agenda, he says. "If the economic times stabilize a little bit, yo=
u'll
start seeing it creep back up."
Despite
the result, Mr. Macdonald insists the election proves Canadians are concern=
ed
about climate change. "This is the first time in the history of a Cana=
dian
federal election that the environment has figured that prominently," h=
e
says.
Others
find a silver lining in the fact that the four parties that advocated putti=
ng a
clear price on carbon captured more than 60 per cent of the vote.
Mr. Elgie
likens the issue to the debate over deficits in
"We're
in the middle of summoning the national will to get tough on climate change=
.
We're getting close to the tipping point on that, but we're not quite there
yet."
Ms.
Olewiler adds: "A big chunk of the population gets it, but a big chunk=
of
the population doesn't get it, and the political leaders are exploiting tha=
t
for their gain."
Most
experts also agree it's only a matter of time before
In fact,
Mr. Elgie predicts that within five to 10 years,
That's
because our main trading partner, the
Once that
happens,
If
There's
considerable irony in this. During the election campaign, Mr. Harper insist=
ed
that a carbon tax would do great harm to
"Our
prosperity in coming decades depends on our ability to deal with the climat=
e
change that's going to hit us," Mr. Hazell says.
=A9 The Ottawa Citizen 2008
Sen=
ior
Officer
Health, Safety &
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
http://cupe.ca/energy/Hamiltons-public-gre
Hamilton's
public, green power wins awards
October 29, 2008 02:03 PM
The
awards and accolades have been flowing since
The most recen=
t
award is for the city’s cogeneration facility, which captures met=
hane
gas - a byproduct of the sewage treatment process - and turns it into energ=
y.
The project, housed at the city’s Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatmen=
t
Plant, recently won an award
for environmental leadership and innovation from the Association
of Municipalities of Ontario.
The city says the plant is one of the largest-scale in
It’s the second award this year for the city-owned Hamilton
Renewable Power Incorporated. Earlier this year, the project won a Cana=
dian
Council of Ministers of the Environment award
for greenhouse gas reduction. Environment
The project came online
in September 2006 and is making
financial sense for the city.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities also singled out the project with=
a certificate
of recognition in 2007.
The praise doesn’t stop there. The water and wastewater division's ne=
w environmental
laboratory won an architectural
award in late 2007. The facility, where the city’s water is teste=
d
and wastewater operations are monitored, is the first LEED-certified lab=
in
The awards are the latest in a string of good news for
Matthew Firth
Senior Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
mfirth at cupe.ca<=
/font>
You’ve likely heard of this already …=
this
is a pretty cool campaign, with many good ideas for making simple changes &=
#8230;
http=
://green.cbc.ca/default.aspx
Matthew Firth
Senior Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 233-3438
mfirth at cupe.ca<=
/font>