Harper denounces Liberals’ Kyoto decision
Stephen Harper has called the Kyoto accord the worst international deal ever signed by Canada. Kyoto is a piddly, watered-down accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012. This is not a large amound. Had Canada ratified Kyoto shortly after the Kyoto meeting, it would have been easier – Canada’s emissions have been steadily on the rise since 1990. The Canadian Alliance is the only party to oppose ratifying the Kyoto accord.
There is alot of complaint that the government should have consulted with the provinces. On what? There was no room for internal negotiation on the subject – the accord was international, so either we ratify it as it is, or not at all. Granted, Alberta will most likely be the heaviest hit province, in terms of economics, but that is something that the first ministers can hammer out over the next 10 years, as they reach for compliance by 2012. There is a belief that any environmentally-friendly changes to industry must cost jobs & profits. It is true that at least initially, they tend to affect profits. That this costs jobs says much more about Corporate economics and short-sightedness by shareholders than anything else. Reducing these emissions will probably take some innovations and new technology being used. This will probably create new jobs in these sectors. Perhaps simply shift jobs. I don’t know.
I would imagine that BC is probably also upset about this now, as the BC Libs really want to the Federal Libs to lift the moratorium on off-shore drilling out here. With Chrétien apparently wanting his legacy to be green, hopefully this moratorium will stand for longer.