[“The Conservatives want to play alone in their oilsands box.” Interim NDP leader N. Turmel, Dec. 6, London Free Press]
Thirty-five per cent of Canadians will be delighted that Peter Kent, former news reporter and now Canada’s Federal Environment Minister, delivered in full Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s climate change policy at the climate conference in Durban, South Africa.
The majority of Canadians, not delighted, felt the chill in Kent’s steady, practiced voice as he read the following, like just another nightly news report, thus confirming Canada will not be a supporter of a second Kyoto Protocol:
“We believe that ultimately a new agreement that includes all of the world’s major emitters (of greenhouse gases) in both the developing and the developed world is the only way to materially reduce annual mega-tonnage to the point we can work to prevent global warming hitting or exceeding two degrees.” (Dec. 6, London Free Press)
After he spoke, he likely placed Harper’s neatly typed memo, or ‘policy’ to some, back inside his briefcase and sat down in his still-warm chair to a smattering of applause from other long time high-emitters of greenhouse gases, e.g., Japan, Russia and the US of A.
The upshot of such a stance will undoubtedly result in continued extensive emissions worldwide, as the developed countries (who have emitted most of the CO2 found in the atmosphere today, or who have had the highest emissions per capita for so long in order to live in big houses and drive luxury cars, e.g., the US, Japan, Germany, Russia, Canada) preach the message that “cleanliness is next to godliness, so get your emissions under control” to the developing countries that have attempted, for a relatively short period of time, to develop a richer, western-style lifestyle of their own.
Of course, Canada’s Conservative Prime Minister Harper already anticipated as much (his cold, terse memo to Kent’s audience in Durban would have no other major result), and will now bask in the realization that his plans to masterfully develop the environmentally toxic tar sands will continue unimpeded for many years, strengthening Canada’s petro-dollar and the illusion that unsustainable practices are good for Canada and then the world.
In order to keep the Canadian reputation as world-class thinker from slipping entirely from view on the world stage, Kent later added that ‘Canada would continue to pursue a modest target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020.’
Translation, for those who can’t understand Canadian Conservatives: “It’s the very least we can do, so we’ll do it.”
Kent also announced ‘Canada would increase its funding to $600 million a year for the next two years to help developing economies adapt to global warming in the future.’
Surely, a few sharp minds in Durban saw some irony in PM Harper’s decision to raise the amount of ‘hush money’ from $400 to $600 million.
The western tar sands are generating more income for the Conservative government along with higher levels of toxic emissions in the land, air and water in Alberta and beyond, so Canada is now better able to afford to help developing countries adapt to the fearful consequences of global warming.
In my opinion, after Environment Minister Kent closed his briefcase in Durban, he stepped off the world stage perhaps for the last time.
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