So... a few million in funds (versus the billions the government will give to the oil industry). While that is quite a story, it's not the real story. The story here is that the menial funding is a total sham in itself. The paltry 58 million dollars will fund what basically amounts to "looking into the problem". Nothing in the way of real policy to (for example):
1) Regulate the biggest greenhouse gas polluter in Canada (the Alberta oil industry). The provincial government is partially responsible here - charging a pittance in royalties, clearly robbing the people of Alberta to help pad the pockets of their conservative oil company overlords. Even Peter Lougheed (former PC Premier of Alberta thinks the province is being fleeced by big oil). If the Yanks want to come up here for "safe oil" they're going to have to pay for it. Canada's sole purpose is NOT US "oil security". With the backbone of Stephen "Shrub" Harper's electoral strength being Alberta oil country it is highly unlikely anything will happen in this area, meaning Canada's rampant CO2 emissions will remain high.
2) Put strict fuel-efficiency standards on all automobiles - including SUVs
3) Tax SUVs at point of purchase - to convince consumers to choose more sensible vehicles (I drive a compact pickup for my business, instead of a monster SUV/wagon because it hauls everything I need and still manages 30mpg on the highway (not bad for a 5500lb 4x4)
4) Tax cuts for purchasers of hybrids (to help offset the price crunch when you purchase them
5) Tax rebates for home renovations geared to conserving energy (ex: geothermal/solar heating; insulating basements, attics, and garages)
6) STAND BEHIND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS = KYOTO!!!
As a party, we need to stand up and call to task the Harpies on their sham of an environmental "policy". We will need to be prepared for Canada's biggest gas-emitter - Minister Baird - to spout his usual sputum-laden diatribes concerning things "the last government" didn't accomplish. The nice thing is that Canadians are getting sick and tired of hearing the old schoolyard "he did it, not me" crap.
1 comment:
Thanks for the comment Bud. I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" a while ago, and noted the comments Al Gore made about how the US was behind Canada environmentally, in so many ways. While we may have "sat" on emissions, it was simply kissing the @$$ of the Alberta oil industry, and hoping we did nothing that even remotely seemed similar to the NEP - in the desperate dream that we may win seats in Alberta...
We need to give up on most parts of "Texas North" and focus our efforts in a couple of ridings in Edmonton and MAYBE the East and NE in Calgary if we are to have a realistic shot at anything there.
I think we realized that the economic engine behind a lot of Canada's growth has been resource driven. I think the Cons notice this too. We need to be the forward thinking ones, however, and start working on the oil industry's polution.
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