CommPost

Friday, October 20, 2006

A NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL DISGRACE

The Clean Air Act: BULLPLOP!

Ibbitson put it perfectly:

"For the first time in our history, the Canadian government will repudiate an international treaty."

Lets have a look at the highlights of the Tories new Clean Air Act

• By 2011, develop new regulations for vehicle fuel consumption.
Because clearly the the last 10 years of consultations and data on vehicle fuel isn't enough to do anything now. Not to mention that the Canadian Environmental Protection act gives the Minister of the Environment the power to legislate fuel content and consumption standards.

BULLPLOP!

• By 2025, set national targets for smog and ozone levels.
That's great. The Ontario Medical Association estimates that over a billion dollards a year is currently the 'Air Quality' stressor on the health care system in Ontario and that over 5800 deaths a year are linked to poor air quality. This was a 2005 survey.

Further half of southern ontario's air pollution comes in from air currents from the US rust belt. yes half the problem is ours.. but the other half we have no control over.

BULLPLOP!

• By 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 45 and 65 per cent from 2003 levels.
The legally binding targets under the Kyoto Protocl are to reduce by -6% below 1990 levels by 2012. A long term target is a great idea but the benchmark should be 1990 the legally agreed to international benchmark.

BULLPLOP!

• Harmonize vehicle emissions standards with those of the United States over the next 12 months.

If by US they meant California this would actually have been a high point of the new Act and something the tories could have rightfully been proud of. Unfortunately it isn't. Its based on US national standards which aren't exactly ambitious.

BULLPLOP!

• Harmonize regulations with those of the U.S. for volatile organic compound emissions in consumer and commercial products over the next year.
Wow... for a made-in-Canada plan I'm hearing a lot of 'harmonize with washinton'. Harper, Washington isn't in Canada.

BULLPLOP!

• Over the next three years, discuss and set “intensity based” targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, rather than total emissions targets, for major emitters.

BULLPLOP!. If you reduce your emissions intensity (emissions per unit of performance) this provides an efficiency gain but also results in a net increase in emissions. Canada's emissions intensity has reduced dramatically from the 50's and even from the early 90's. However OUR EMISSIONS continue to rise at a rather alarming rate. This is not good for clean air or for climate change. BULLPLOP!

• Negotiate with provinces to create harmonized system for mandatory reporting of air emissions, reduction of regulatory overlap.

The liberals did this already and were ready to go. There is no reason we need more of this. Even if the tories had taken the info provided to the liberals and rebranded it as their own (such as the pacific gateway situation) they could have stood on something NOW. As it is.. more BULLPLOP!

• Create environmental damages fund from non-compliance fines to be applied directly to cleanup.

Not a bad idea. However its going to be a pretty useless fund for the next say 20 years or so if funds are based on non compliance to regulations that won't be written for years.

BULLPLOP!

The other consideration that is missed here is that Canada is walking away from a legally binding international treaty of some significance. Never in the history of our country have we done this. While we are not officially withdrawing from the Protocol, officially stating that we won't every try to meet our obligations and based on the Clean Air Act... well if it walks like a duck...

On another note:

Coincidence... I think not

Recently the Tories removed funding for the following (along with many other good programs):

$5 million: Administrative reductions to Status of Women Canada
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060926/spending_cuts_060926?s_name=&no_ads=

Yesterday this happened:

Peter MacKay apparently referred to his former lady friend, Liberal MP Belinda Stronach, as a dog http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061020.MACKAYSTRONACH20/TPStory/

Wow they certainly diserve to continue in government to represent this proud nation...

VOTE THEM OUT CANADA!

Cheers,
P

3 Comments:

  • Vote Kirk

    By Blogger Kirk Schmidt, at 12:42 PM  

  • I can't. I don't live in your riding. :)

    Cheers,

    P

    By Blogger Patrick, at 10:23 AM  

  • Go to http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport and watch the part about the Clean Air Act. Priceless.

    Come to think of it, watch all the video clips. They're all awesome.

    By Blogger Kirk Schmidt, at 10:48 AM  

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