OTTAWA—Canada’s environment minister on Thursday
heralded a possible continental climate change pact with the United States,
saying US President Barack Obama has opened the door.
“At this point in history there is an enormous opportunity to work together
as North Americans to achieve real focused and concerted progress on the
environment,” Environment Minister Jim Prentice told reporters.
He pointed to the new US president’s willingness to tackle warming and his
support of multilateralism, in contrast to the previous US administration.
Earlier, Prentice testified at a House Environment Committee that “Canadian
and American governments need to work to ensure that respective policy and
regulatory frameworks are coherent and mutually supportive, and that the road
to reduced emissions travels straight through the heart of our two nations,
towards one common target.
“Going forward, we can’t predict how talks with the US will play out, but
we can say with certainty that the time is right for these discussions to take
place,” he said.
“We must work together ... with our continental partners, to find common
ground that is good for Canada, good for the US, and good for the planet.”
Canada had agreed under the international Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon
dioxide emissions to 6.0 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, but emissions have
instead increased by more than 35 percent.
In 2007, the Canadian government outlined a new plan to cut CO2 emissions
20 percent, based on 2006 levels, by 2020, saying the targets agreed to by the
previous administration were unattainable.
Its reluctance to implement tougher measures stemmed in part from
Washington’s refusal to ratify Kyoto.
There was a fear in Canada that since US companies would not be affected by
the Kyoto Protocol—because the United States did not sign on to the accord—that Canadian companies would be at a trade disadvantage. The two nations
are the world’s largest trading partners.
Prentice outlined for House committee his desire for a common North
American target for reducing CO2 emissions, and a common North American cap
and trade system.
source: Agence France-Presse
Children and riot police face off in Canadian “Moms” video
The violent twilight of oil and a strategy to expose it
Comments
View as Flat
JaneE2 Posted 4:58 am
17 Feb 2009
We need bold strategies, and we need each other to make them succeed, and we need to get started as soon as they shake hands on Thursday.
Permalink
holman Posted 9:44 am
17 Feb 2009
They have done everything in their power to coddle up to Bush and his desire to bring about the end sooner, rather than later, which, if one believes in the judgement, may not be a bad idea for those of us desiring justice to be served upon Bush and his entourage of Satanic actors. Now that Bush is gone, as is the Kyoto Agreement, which the Conservative government of Harper refused to implement, the plan may well be to convince Obama that Alberta oil is a 'secure' flow for the energy sucking US nation.
Do not be fooled by Prentice's supposed statement that now that the US is willing to "tackle warming" Canada is on board. Canada may never be on board until this government is gone also. They are not willing to talk unless it supports their agenda and they will have to do a fairly long dance with lots of whispering sweet nothings into the ear of Obama if Obama actually introduces significant legislation to address the seriousness of the situation. Do not forget that emissions rose during the the time Harper has been in power. Do not forget that the Alberta tar sands is the primary source of pollution in Canada, if not the world. The Liberals signed onto Kyoto Protocol but the Tories refused to implement it.
If the Green Initiative takes off in the US, Canada will have find a way to be on board because of the importance of selling fossil fuels to the US.
""Canadian and American governments need to work to ensure that respective policy and regulatory frameworks are coherent and mutually supportive, and that the road to reduced emissions travels straight through the heart of our two nations, towards one common target."" READ- if we can agree that trade will not suffer, or that we will suffer equally, we are hopping on that boat to battle global warming. This way we can tell our mindless Canadian voters that we had no choice but to support Obama's direction. PROOF- "He pointed to the new US president's willingness to tackle warming and his support of multilateralism, in contrast to the previous US administration." (This statement is laughable in itself because if you add a few Bush foibles Harper and Bush would be spewing the same meal.)
It all boils down to trade and power and as long as the Tories can feed both they will travel the road with less political congestion. It will not be because it is the right thing to do.
Permalink