Prime Minister Harper is off to the G8 and positioning Canada as the “honest broker” to bridge the gap between the climate change approaches between Europe and the Americans. Our Prime Minister has yet to clarify his own position on these issues so it is hard to see him as having any significant moral, legal or even intellectual authority to mediate between some pretty significant superpowers.
Our national economy and security is so tied to the USA that it is stretching credibility to believe the Europeans will see Harper as anything more than a shill for President Bush’s position on climate change.
It is not as if our record in Canada on GHG emissions cutting has been exemplary either. So there is no lever for persuasion or brokerage by Harper on that front. In fact we are doing a worse job than the Americans who never said they were to be bound by Kyoto in the first place. Harper’s own anaemic and hesitant policies on climate change offer nothing to add to his stature as an honest broker between Europe and American interests either.
He even misrepresents the India and China position on climate change. They have signed on to Kyoto but starting in the post-2012 period. According to the World Wildlife Fund, India currently contributes 2% of world GHG emissions with a billion people and China spews 5% with 1.3 billion people. Canada sources 2% of the worlds GHG emissions with only 35 million citizens.
The trends in all cases are not encouraging. In the time frame 1999-2004 Canada increased emissions 27%, India was up 57.5% and China increased by 73%. That only proves we are all in serious trouble. Canada obviously needs to do more at home and not just preach to China and India, as temping as that seems to be to Bush and Harper. As for an honest broker we are not in the best position be making the case to others now are we?
We have hardly anything to teach them, except perhaps not to waste the lead up time they have and to start early to create the changes necessary to comply with Kyoto. In Canada we have definitely squandered that lead time from when we signed on.
Yes Steve, it is not easy being green. It is even harder to be credible by pretending that you are. Harper’s Cons are spending big bucks in the pre-writ pre-election period that they don't have to account for when an inevitable election is called. Their message is focused on trying to convince us Dion is not a leader. Ironically Harper is spending lots of his personal political capital right now too. He is posing and posturing as a greenie and proving too all of us in the process that he is definitely not a leader.
Our national economy and security is so tied to the USA that it is stretching credibility to believe the Europeans will see Harper as anything more than a shill for President Bush’s position on climate change.
It is not as if our record in Canada on GHG emissions cutting has been exemplary either. So there is no lever for persuasion or brokerage by Harper on that front. In fact we are doing a worse job than the Americans who never said they were to be bound by Kyoto in the first place. Harper’s own anaemic and hesitant policies on climate change offer nothing to add to his stature as an honest broker between Europe and American interests either.
He even misrepresents the India and China position on climate change. They have signed on to Kyoto but starting in the post-2012 period. According to the World Wildlife Fund, India currently contributes 2% of world GHG emissions with a billion people and China spews 5% with 1.3 billion people. Canada sources 2% of the worlds GHG emissions with only 35 million citizens.
The trends in all cases are not encouraging. In the time frame 1999-2004 Canada increased emissions 27%, India was up 57.5% and China increased by 73%. That only proves we are all in serious trouble. Canada obviously needs to do more at home and not just preach to China and India, as temping as that seems to be to Bush and Harper. As for an honest broker we are not in the best position be making the case to others now are we?
We have hardly anything to teach them, except perhaps not to waste the lead up time they have and to start early to create the changes necessary to comply with Kyoto. In Canada we have definitely squandered that lead time from when we signed on.
Yes Steve, it is not easy being green. It is even harder to be credible by pretending that you are. Harper’s Cons are spending big bucks in the pre-writ pre-election period that they don't have to account for when an inevitable election is called. Their message is focused on trying to convince us Dion is not a leader. Ironically Harper is spending lots of his personal political capital right now too. He is posing and posturing as a greenie and proving too all of us in the process that he is definitely not a leader.
HMMM..
ReplyDeleteAn honest broker would need someone who is being honest. No?
Canada will not meet its Kyoto, just like many other Kyoto signatories.
"They have signed on to Kyoto but starting in the post-2012 period"
They are working on the framework for what the post 2012 targets might be.So what was signed?
"preach to China and India"
Who was preaching? I thought Harper was recognizing the challenges (like Canada) these countries have.Therefore suggesting intensity based targets.
Harper is simply being honest when he states that it is impossible to meet our Kyoto targets in the short term due to the inaction of the previous government.
ReplyDeleteI want him to be honest about his plans - blaming everything on the past government is not really honest either.
ReplyDeleteThe Liberal minority government of Martin and Dion had a very impressive Green Plan proposed at a time when the Cons were still proudly standing as climate change deniers.
The Cons dismantled the former Liberal Green programs and the administrtive structures to deliver them last year and this year they are resorting the Liberal initiatives and calling them the ideas of Canada's "New" government.
Selected facts presented as reality is not honesty.
I agree with you that he shouldn't merely blame the previous government. I will not get into the difference between a "plan" and an "implementation of a plan". If you have an idea with no money or personel attached to it, it simply does not realistically exist.
ReplyDeleteHere is a factual example for you. Currently, the price of gas has been rising dramatically. One would think that an increase in gas price would reduce gas consumption (and least for some drivers) and, hence, reduce GHG emissions. Yet there are members in the opposition parties that want to artifically reduce gas prices. This is the type of double-speak that is simply not helpful in reducing our carbon footprint.
I agree that the Conservatives have been draggged into the enviro wave. Not sure why a Government changes course to govern based on Canadians rising concerns is a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe Liberals had multiple majorities and 1 minority to advance an environmental agenda. So I don't find anything dishonest about stateing where blame should fall. Certainly can't fall totally on a 1 year old Conservative minority.
Lastly, I am not sure how on one hand you are critical of the Conservative green plan, call the Martin green plan "impressive", than acuse the Conservatives of stealing those "impressive" Liberal plans.
How do you square that?
Anon at 7:05 - there is lots of blame to go around on the environment policy front.
ReplyDeleteThe Liberals squandered years of productive time with petty warring between Martin and Chrétien.
Once they focused the planning was pretty good but the politics of change and Adscam got in the way.
I blame the Liberals bungling as much as the Conservative disingenuousness for the sorry state we are in today when it comes to meaningful and effective environment policy.
The ballot question next time is Who do you trust...on issues and promises and as to the character and integrity of the various party leaders?
Please, please give me the ballot question on trust!
ReplyDeleteBe careful what you wish for Eric...Harper is not a winner in the trust department and people are looking forward not back...only the Cons like to look backwards.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't answer How you square your comments.
ReplyDelete"only the Cons like to look backwards"
When you bring up the past resistance to Kyoto by the Conservatives, and Liberals bring up past comments by Harper ("money sucking socialist scheme"). Is this looking backwards? Maybe you can just judge them by what they are doing, and saying today. Or do you want to continue to be like Conservatives and look backwards?
regards
I love the framing of Harper on his Green Plan. Based on news stories today Harper's positioning of his Climate Change boast that Canada will reduce our GHG emissions reduction plans over the next 13 years are more ambitious than the EU.
ReplyDeleteThe Pembina Institute point out that is true BUT ONLY if you ignore the sharp rise in Canada's emission since 1990. They call Harper's pronouncements "misleading and, frankly irresponsible." OUCH!
I say Harper has forfeited his favourite rant that everything wrong in Canada and government today is due to the "past 13 years of Liberal government." If his claims about his superior GHG reduction levels obviously ignore the past he can’t claim the past is part of the problem any more. Consistency and intellectual integrity has never been Steve’s long suit anyway…so why start now?
Harper is not being Honest with Canadians and about Canada to the rest of the world. Trust and Integrity of Our Leadership – those are becoming my ballot box questions.
The CONS-Alliance-Reform did everything in their power to oppose green initiatives. Preston Manning constatntly trotted out the "carbon tax boogeyman" to resist climate change initiatives.
ReplyDeleteHarper has shifted from climate change denier to acceptor because the polls pushed him there, not because he wanted to.
Harper and his predecessors have to accept some blame for mobilizing Canadians against green initiatives and making it difficult for the Liberals to enact green legislation.
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