Saturday, February 10, 2007
Proof of Empty Environment Promises
These past few days have, if nothing else, shown that "Canada's New Government" has no more interest in environmental issues than Palaeolithic cave dwellers. This was evident in the Bill C-30 hearings and during a CBC interview of Prime Minister Harper.
In the hearings, Environment Minister John Baird was asked if he knew the difference between a "carbon credit" and a "carbon tax". Baird stammered, stumbled and bumbled his way through his response until he suddenly realized he didn't know what he was talking about - then he went on the attack in an attempt to divert attention from his own stupidity. While many people may not know the difference, Baird should have known. He's the Environment Minister. The two terms are basic concepts fundamental to current environmental discussions.
During the Prime Minister's interview, he was asked if he had ever watched "The Inconvenient Truth". "No", Prime Minister Harper responded, but he would like to watch it, just to see what the "hype" was all about. Then, the PM was asked what he does personally to improve the environment. He said while living in Calgary he used to be involved in Saturday recycling projects with his kids.
Scary, indeed.
In the hearings, Environment Minister John Baird was asked if he knew the difference between a "carbon credit" and a "carbon tax". Baird stammered, stumbled and bumbled his way through his response until he suddenly realized he didn't know what he was talking about - then he went on the attack in an attempt to divert attention from his own stupidity. While many people may not know the difference, Baird should have known. He's the Environment Minister. The two terms are basic concepts fundamental to current environmental discussions.
During the Prime Minister's interview, he was asked if he had ever watched "The Inconvenient Truth". "No", Prime Minister Harper responded, but he would like to watch it, just to see what the "hype" was all about. Then, the PM was asked what he does personally to improve the environment. He said while living in Calgary he used to be involved in Saturday recycling projects with his kids.
Scary, indeed.
Labels: Baird, C30, environment, Harper, Inconvenient Truth
Friday, February 02, 2007
Paris Report and Canada's Environment Policy
A couple of days ago, Parliament Hill reporters asked several Conservative MPs if they believed in climate change. The MPs scurried off refusing to answer the question.
Today, the Paris report on the environment is out. The news is not good. Greenhouse gas emissions are largely responsible for climate change. The planet is warming at a faster rate than previously thought. Yet, Stephen Harper's response to the Paris report didn't instill confidence in the public that the government had a plan for immediate action to begin reduction of greenhouse gases.
I wouldn't get too excited at the prospect of the Conservatives actually doing something about emissions in the near term. At least not until they arrive at a consensus on the Copernicus and Galileo theories. If they do, perhaps then we can all move forward.
Today, the Paris report on the environment is out. The news is not good. Greenhouse gas emissions are largely responsible for climate change. The planet is warming at a faster rate than previously thought. Yet, Stephen Harper's response to the Paris report didn't instill confidence in the public that the government had a plan for immediate action to begin reduction of greenhouse gases.
I wouldn't get too excited at the prospect of the Conservatives actually doing something about emissions in the near term. At least not until they arrive at a consensus on the Copernicus and Galileo theories. If they do, perhaps then we can all move forward.
Labels: environment, greenhouse gases, paris report
Monday, January 29, 2007
Harnessing Alternative Energy
Think of the enormous reduced gas emmissions if only we could harness the negative energy, hot air and flatulence coming from Conservative orifices...!
Labels: Conservatives, environment
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Visual and Auditory Pollution
The motivation behind our social conservative government's ostentatious transformation from blue to green is purely a vote getting ploy. Now that the health of our environment seems to be at the top of the heap in voter minds - poof! - the Conservatives grab their crayons and color themselves green.
They scrambled to action, throwing money in every direction faster than a Liberal before election day. So far, these announcements, much of which are resurrected Liberal programs or borrowed Liberal ideas, amount to intense visual and auditory pollution.
Let's not be fooled by the Conservatives' new adopted color. To Conservatives, the overwhelming body of evidence proving that global warming actually exists and a disaster is about to unravel is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. Stockwell Day's recent ridicule of Al Gore's documentary "The Inconvenient Truth" is a case in point. Mr. Day has proven he has little knowledge or understanding of environmental issues, yet he seems comfortable and willing to criticize others who do.
The Conservatives have not yet provided details about their programs. If they are serious about the environment we should see, for starters, hard core immediate and short term targets reducing greenhouse gas emissions followed by longer term targets, rather than their current long term (2020 - 2050) targets focusing only on emission intensity.
Time will tell if the Conservatives are serious or just playing with their crayons.
They scrambled to action, throwing money in every direction faster than a Liberal before election day. So far, these announcements, much of which are resurrected Liberal programs or borrowed Liberal ideas, amount to intense visual and auditory pollution.
Let's not be fooled by the Conservatives' new adopted color. To Conservatives, the overwhelming body of evidence proving that global warming actually exists and a disaster is about to unravel is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. Stockwell Day's recent ridicule of Al Gore's documentary "The Inconvenient Truth" is a case in point. Mr. Day has proven he has little knowledge or understanding of environmental issues, yet he seems comfortable and willing to criticize others who do.
The Conservatives have not yet provided details about their programs. If they are serious about the environment we should see, for starters, hard core immediate and short term targets reducing greenhouse gas emissions followed by longer term targets, rather than their current long term (2020 - 2050) targets focusing only on emission intensity.
Time will tell if the Conservatives are serious or just playing with their crayons.
Labels: Al Gore, Conservatives, environment, greenhouse gases, Stockwell Day
Thursday, December 14, 2006
My Cabinet Minister Disappear Wish List
Surely, opposition parties can come up with better reasons than Afghanistan to bring down the government. A better target would be the Conservative's perfunctory and trifling environment policies. But, to help staveoff any premature non confidence vote and to give his government a bit of a face lift, Harper will reshuffle his Cabinet before Parliament reconvenes onJanuary 29.
My cabinet minister disappear wish list includes:
1. Beat it Rona Ambrose, Minister of Environment, your services or lack thereof, are no longer required.
2. Begone bedazzled Stockwell Day, Minister and master of the RCMP.
3. Au revoir Lawerence Canon, Minister of Transport, for not comprehending the meaning of the word Québécois and the whole notion of the motion.
4. Hit the road Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign and immature domestic Affairs.
5. "Get a kick" Jim Flaherty, Minister of flatulent Finance (not likely a strong candidate for getting the boot as Jim is deep in the PM's favour).
Unfortunately for us, the PM has a shallow talent pool in the current cabinet and even less talent from which to select his replacements.
My cabinet minister disappear wish list includes:
1. Beat it Rona Ambrose, Minister of Environment, your services or lack thereof, are no longer required.
2. Begone bedazzled Stockwell Day, Minister and master of the RCMP.
3. Au revoir Lawerence Canon, Minister of Transport, for not comprehending the meaning of the word Québécois and the whole notion of the motion.
4. Hit the road Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign and immature domestic Affairs.
5. "Get a kick" Jim Flaherty, Minister of flatulent Finance (not likely a strong candidate for getting the boot as Jim is deep in the PM's favour).
Unfortunately for us, the PM has a shallow talent pool in the current cabinet and even less talent from which to select his replacements.
Labels: environment, foreign affairs, general politics, Québécois, RCMP
Monday, November 20, 2006
Our National Lampoon Style of Government
The more I see of this government, the more my attention is drawn to the Liberal leadership race.
We have a Prime Minister who treats us like mushrooms. His Communications Director Sandra wants staff in the various ministries to spy on their managers and secretly report back to her. Talk about a bi... er... "treacherous person". Then you have Jim Flaherty's off the cuff knee jerk whimsical financial policy decisions; Rona Ambrose's fumbling and bumblings with her environment portfolio; Peter MacKay's puerile behaviour in his bitter relationship with Stronach; Vic Toews wanting the police to help him select our judges; and a host of Conservative MP's too meek to speak.
I have always been right of centre in my political thinking and I have always voted either PC, Reform, Alliance, and recent years, Conservative. But, I confess I'm chomping at the bit to watch the Liberal Leadership Conventoin. Go Michael, Go.
We have a Prime Minister who treats us like mushrooms. His Communications Director Sandra wants staff in the various ministries to spy on their managers and secretly report back to her. Talk about a bi... er... "treacherous person". Then you have Jim Flaherty's off the cuff knee jerk whimsical financial policy decisions; Rona Ambrose's fumbling and bumblings with her environment portfolio; Peter MacKay's puerile behaviour in his bitter relationship with Stronach; Vic Toews wanting the police to help him select our judges; and a host of Conservative MP's too meek to speak.
I have always been right of centre in my political thinking and I have always voted either PC, Reform, Alliance, and recent years, Conservative. But, I confess I'm chomping at the bit to watch the Liberal Leadership Conventoin. Go Michael, Go.
Labels: environment, foreign affairs, income trusts, judiciary
Thursday, November 16, 2006
CBC Fifth Estate - "The Denial Machine"
If you didn't have the opportunity to see "The Inconvenient Truth", a documentary by Al Gore about global warming, be sure to watch Fifth Estate's "The Denial Machine" being re-broadcasted on November 18 at 10:00PM ET (7:00PM PT) or click on this article's title for further information about the CBC program.
Like Al Gore's documentary, the Fifth Estate's documentary clearly shows that global warming is an urgent threat to our planet as well as the strong similarities between US and Canada environmental (or non-environmental) policy. Mr. Harper is obviously taking his cues from Mr. Bush.
Like Al Gore's documentary, the Fifth Estate's documentary clearly shows that global warming is an urgent threat to our planet as well as the strong similarities between US and Canada environmental (or non-environmental) policy. Mr. Harper is obviously taking his cues from Mr. Bush.
Labels: Al Gore, Bush, CBC, environment, greenhouse gases, Harper
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
'No Environment Minister' Rona Ambrose
'No Environment Minister' Rona Ambrose, who is representing the Government of Canada at the environment conference in Kenya made a complete fool of herself in front of the entire world, to the point I felt embarrassed for her and our country. Ambrose, whose speech contained obvious references to petty domestic politics blaming the previous Liberal government for our environment inaction, hung herself out to dry at an international conference for all to see.
Why would the international conference participants care about who governed this country in 2005? Attendees were focused on the environment and what each of the representative countries were doing about global warming. In Canada's case, nothing is being done, save and except for the proposed useless Clean Air Act.
I was tempted to suggest that the government get rid of 'No Environment Minister' Ambrose and replace her with someone more competent. But, then I remembered that 'No Environment Minister' Ambrose's 'no environment' position is also the 'no environment' position of our government, which by the way, is a near template of the White House 'no environment' policy.
Why would the international conference participants care about who governed this country in 2005? Attendees were focused on the environment and what each of the representative countries were doing about global warming. In Canada's case, nothing is being done, save and except for the proposed useless Clean Air Act.
I was tempted to suggest that the government get rid of 'No Environment Minister' Ambrose and replace her with someone more competent. But, then I remembered that 'No Environment Minister' Ambrose's 'no environment' position is also the 'no environment' position of our government, which by the way, is a near template of the White House 'no environment' policy.
Labels: environment
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Finally, Clean Air - In 2050
Rona Ambrose and the rest of the Ottawa politicians should take the time to view "The Inconvenient Truth", a documentary on global warming. After being in selected theatres, it is due out in DVD. This documentary, if accurate and I have no reason to believe otherwise, is an enlightening, yet shocking and alarming exposé discrediting the notion that global warming is just a normal planetary cycle. Click on the title of this article to view the documentary's trailer.
Global warming is an urgent matter requiring urgent action, not navel-gazing through to the year 2050.
Per capita, Canada is infamously world renowned for being one of the worst polluters on the planet.
The government's proposed Clean Air Act in its current form is ineffective and irrelevant in today's world.
Global warming is an urgent matter requiring urgent action, not navel-gazing through to the year 2050.
Per capita, Canada is infamously world renowned for being one of the worst polluters on the planet.
The government's proposed Clean Air Act in its current form is ineffective and irrelevant in today's world.
Labels: environment
