The climate change conundrum

Letter to the Editor

By

Posted 2 years ago

The federal government's decision to defer bill C-311 for further discussion was a blow to a good many people as the Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen approaches this month.

Once respected as a world leader on environmental issues, Canada has become an international laggard in the war on global warming. The bill would commit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, with 1990 serving as the base year.

To express the urgency of addressing this problem we can best explain it in this way: if we don't reduce the carbon a single person produces by half in the next 10 years (each person produces 23 tons of carbon per year right now), in 100 years Bangladesh will be under water. The next 10 years are crucial because otherwise we won't be able to catch up: the rate of change will be too steep.

Sweden, has been charging industry $120 per tonne for years and they are managing very well. The federal Conservatives argue unrealistic targets would threaten Canada's economy; they insist a 20% reduction by 2020 based on 2006 levels would be more appropriate -- a position also supported by the Liberals.

Is that true? Well, if you are looking at oil-rich Alberta and most of your support is shored up there, I suppose it could be rather awkward. But, perhaps there is another reason that isn't so obvious. Like a yearning to harmonize with the Americans who have hardly begun to address the problem in any significant way; there is lots of interest but no real concerted effort.

In the meantime, it looks like Alberta may be headed for a final showdown with the big oil giants anyway. There are new innovators and some very vocal dissenters rising up to do battle with these powerful corporations. People like Satya Das who has just published "Green Oil", a book he describes as an "owner's manual" to help Albertans and Canadians make decisions about their $15-trillion oil sand resource.

Das' prescription is the creation of a natural resources severance tax levied by the provincial government -- essentially a form of carbon tax, the money would then be used to achieve a "carbon-neutral" oil sands development. But it also means greening Alberta's electricity mix with wind, geothermal, solar and biogas, investing heavily in public transit and supporting other carbon-reduction initiatives.

This isn't a new idea. The Greens and the NDP, with their cap and trade policy, have been saying these things all along. And what about former federal Liberal leader Stephen Dion? He really got nailed to the cross. But the large oil companies like Suncor, Syncrude, Shell and other smaller independents have already seen the writing on the wall. It's a question of getting these mechanisms in place to create a proper climate for competition.

I witnessed this very discussion at a committee meeting on CPAC a while ago. The oil companies were there. The question is: who will levy the tax? Will it be the provincial or the federal level of government?

It is interesting to note that Das says the province could but doesn't charge a "democracy" premium for the stability it brings to the market. He blames paralyzed and intimidated politicians for failure to act.

There's a reason, Das says, why this massive resource has become the go-to place for international energy giants looking for politically safe investments. The oil sands are fast becoming a crutch for a U. S. economy determined to reduce its energy dependence on volatile regions of the world. In truth, Das says the province gets "bugger all" for the real value of the oil sands.

I hear Stephen Harper will be attending the Climate Change Conference after all. Some say largely because U. S. President Barack Obama will make a stop there and Michael Ignatieff has been talking of cap and trade policies. While this is at least encouraging, we the people must continue to do our part to bring about constructive change and dream up savvy new solutions for our fragile planet.

A case in point: PBS Nova recently presented a documentary that suggests that we could actually provide ourselves with ample energy by bouncing solar rays off the moon. Imagine!

There are many other notables. Meet Evan Chrapko and his brother Shane who partnered with their neighbours to make electricity out of cattle manure and succeeded! They literally created a green megaproject in the heart of oil country. It's profitable to be green!

It's difficult to say when the full realization of the dangers of this climate change phenomenon will take hold. There are many, many people who are still in denial. I'll tell you one thing though: if we don't soon do something pretty dramatic soon I don't know if I want to be here.

Patricia Daly Cobourg

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