CBC News: Ottawa unveils $10B Kyoto plan

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Thu, 14 Apr 2005 18:08:11 -0700

[Zepps_News] CBC News: Ottawa unveils $10B Kyoto plan

 

 

<http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/13/kyoto050415.html>

 

Ottawa unveils $10B Kyoto plan

 

Last Updated Thu, 14 Apr 2005 04:31:04 EDT

 

CBC News

 

[Zeppnote: try to imagine a Republican saying something like " America

will do its share for the planet because that is our responsibility, "

Can't do it, can you? But most Americans disagree with the Republicans.]

 

OTTAWA - The federal government unveiled an estimated $10-billion plan

Wednesday to meet its Kyoto targets to cut greenhouse emissions by 2012.

(CP file photo)

 

* INDEPTH: Kyoto

 

" Canada will do its share for the planet because that is our

responsibility, " said Environment Minister Stéphane Dion.

 

The goal of the plan is to reduce Canada's greenhouse emissions by 270

megatonnes between 2008 and 2012. It's unclear how much of the total

will be the result of actually cutting pollution and how much will be

done by purchasing emission credits abroad.

 

A major part of the long-awaited plan involves the Climate Change Fund,

a billion-dollar clean air pot of money that will let companies in

Canada buy and sell emission credits, as well as buy credits from

countries that have already met their targets.

 

The plan also calls for a $250-million partnership fund for the provinces.

 

One possible project to come from the fund is a power grid that connects

the country from east to west so that provinces can have access to clean

hydro-electric power instead of relying on coal-fired power plants.

 

Ottawa will also set aside money for a research fund to go toward

science and technology and bring Canada in line with other countries.

Although the U.S. has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, it has put

money in this area to deal with climate change.

 

There will also be a plan to try to persuade individual Canadians and

smaller groups to cut back on their consumption of energy.

 

The plan calls on large emitters to cut emissions by 36 megatonnes,

substantially less than the 55 megatonnes called for in the original

Kyoto plan.

 

But much of the plan is subject to future negotiations with both the

provinces and Canadian industry. It also does not lay out the specific

amount of pollution Canadians and businesses must reduce.

 

NDP Leader Jack Layton criticized the plan, saying it doesn't do enough

for the environment.

 

" We've had 12 years of promises by Paul Martin. He's brought a pathetic

plan. " Layton said this plan sets no real standards and no way of

enforcing them.

 

Mathew Bramley of the Pembina Institute, an environmental policy

research organization, said the plan isn't tough enough on industry.

 

He said industrial sources account for 50 per cent of Canada's

greenhouse gas emissions. But industry will be required to contribute

only 13 per cent of the reductions, he said.

 

" Taxpayers are going to take on a stiff burden of costs to find emission

reductions for Kyoto, while industry is really going to be asked to make

overall what represents an economically insignificant contribution, "

said Bramley.

 

" We don't think that's equitable. We don't think that's reasonable. "

 

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said the plan not only involves

spiralling costs but will create significant competitive challenges for

business in Canada.

 

The Kyoto Protocol is designed to reduce the impact of global warming by

lowering the amount of emissions pumped into the air around the globe.

 

Canada has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to six per

cent below 1990 levels.

--

 

 

 

Election 2004

The Triumph of the Swill

" The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost

duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and cooperation.

It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our

nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation

of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national

life. "

Adolph Hitler, My New World Order,

Proclamation to the German Nation

at Berlin, February 1, 1933

 

 

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