Re: climate conference.
The U.N gathered 50,000 people together in Paris, and thus created thousands of tons of emissions, in order to discuss the problem of climate change. They came away, to rapturous applause, mainly from fellow delegates, and stated that their aim is to keep the rise in temperature to 2 C.
Which of course means that they are prepared to perpetuate a rise in emissions.
We are no doubt expected to be delighted to know, and believe, that the members who signed on to the Kyoto Agreement, members of OPEC, NAFTA, members of the Maastricht Treaty and numerous other governmental organizations will now adhere to their agreements to limit emissions.
When they have, with monotonous regularity reneged on treaties in the past. Anyone want to buy a bridge?
The U.S and President Obama, will no doubt point to the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline as America’s contribution to carbon reduction. Despite them building the equivalent of 10 KXL’s in the past seven years.
India is the only country to announce something positive about reducing their emissions. They are going to develop and build a nationwide high speed rail system. The U.K. has started to debate a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick, which will increase emissions. Tad hypocritical?
In Canada, rather than actually doing something, our elected officials have produced a white elephant in the adoption of a carbon tax which they will proudly treat as the panacea in emissions control whilst accomplishing absolutely nothing in the way of reductions. Increased taxation just means more cost being passed on to the consumer.
One scientist at the conference believes that we need an eight to 10 per cent annual reduction, based on current figures, in the emissions of GHGs. The Air Transport Action Group puts annual emissions at 36 billion tons. Which means that we need an overall reduction of 360 million tons in the first year. We have no chance of achieving this. Why? Because our politicians are...well, you be the judge.
They could bring in tax credits for homeowners to switch to heat pumps, or make them tax exempt and encourage or require developers to install them in new projects. Mandate that vehicle manufactures produce vehicles powered by natural gas, propane, electricity or to provide more hybrid modes of transportation.
We have vehicles that run on E85/M85 but our politicians will not mandate that service stations supply it. In short do the things we elect them to do. That is work for the good of the majority, whilst ignoring all of the many special interest groups.
Ian Kimm
Duncan