So the Americans find the Polar bear to be under stress and just listed them as a threatened species. Can Canada be far behind?The decision according to U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne is said to be based on science. The science is clear, he says. "Today's decision is based on three scientific findings," he said. "First, sea ice is vital to polar bear survival. Second, the polar bear's sea ice habitat has melted in recent decades. Third, computer models suggest sea ice is likely to recede in the future."
Does anyone still not believe that climate change is happening?
UPDATE: GO TO THE WWF WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO AND CONTEXT. http://wwf.ca/polarbears/home.html
Dave Rutherford doesn't believe and he sasy conservatives don't believe it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can get your party onside.
Ah yes - Dave Rutherford the enlightened Delphi Oracle of informed opinion and thought on complexity. Does anyone with an open concerned and curious mind about the environment ever listen to that program?
ReplyDeleteWe should just propose a radical carbon tax to increase the price on electricity, heat and gas? Dion has just provided the Conservatives with a majority. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDion is simply out of touch with reality if he thinks Canadians are willing to accept this tax grab. Take a look at Kinsella's arguments against it. This is the biggest political mistake. My guess is that Dion caves on the whole idea prior to an election.
Funny that you do not write about the liberal's biggest and 'greatest' policy plank thus far under Dion's 'leadership'.
It is not a tax grab eric...it is a behaviour modification exercise. Will Canadians embrace it? They should but will they even though a large majority say in pollsthey are in favour of a carbon tax...will they behave accordingly in an election?
ReplyDeleteCould be Dion is the new Joe Clark. He thought the Liberals would be rational and accept a gasoline tax. Lost the confidence vote, the government, the next election and his leadership. Too bad Harper is not sponsoring this idea if it is so bad. I would rather he suffered Joe's fate
BTW - Rex Murphy was praising Dion's "brass" tonight on the issue.
BTW2 - How come you comment on posts that are unrelated to the comments you make?
Anyone who doesn’t believe we humans are having a negative impact on our environment is lying to themselves. The issue is its going to cost a great deal of money to correct the problem and presently it would be political suicide to impose additional taxes to fund the needed initiatives. As much as we say we care about the environment, 90% of the population cares more about their bank account balance. A carbon tax on electricity and fuel will disproportionately hurt the little guy. Although it may, over time, change habits I feel the same could be accomplished with tax breaks and luxury taxes. I believe the conservatives had it right the first time, they just didn’t take it far enough. Bring the cost of hybrid vehicles down to the same level as our present day gas guzzlers via tax breaks on one end and a luxury tax increase on the other end. Then see how many people choose the gas guzzler and how long the manufacturers keep producing them. This same formula could be applied on a host of other household products.
ReplyDeleteJ
What's sad about this whole situation is that the US' 'threatened' designation probably won't have any teeth. I highly doubt they will alter their lenient policies on greenhouse gas emissions to ensure that polar bear habitat does not suffer. Thus, this designation is more symbolic than anything. What's even more sad about this is that Canada won't even symbollically recognize that polar bears are in trouble, even knowing that it doesn't have to result in any major climate change policy change.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree eh...but humans are a meaning seeking species and we use symbols in the process.
ReplyDeleteDucks, polar bears, grizzly bears, caribou, mountain pine beetle...the climate change symbols are piling up.
We neeed a new mind set where our speicies forgets about trying to control and dominate nature and instead strives to better integrate ourselves within nature.