Home Up Services Contacts Commentary Letters Fora Input Publications GHG Emissions Guests What's New Contents

 

November 1, 2002

The Editor
The Calgary Herald

Is it time to spurn Kyoto?

Dear Editor

Today's news from the United Nations climate change meetings in New Delhi (Canada's clean-energy credits spurned, Calgary Herald, October 31, 2002, A11) indicates Canada's carefully crafted clean energy credit request will not be accepted at the meeting. Will we elicit a promise of more discussion after Canada ratifies the accord? Most likely we will. This will be yet another carrot proffered, ultimately to be snatched away, as we continue our compulsive rush to ratify Kyoto.

Early in the negotiating process, carbon dioxide accounting rules saddled Canada with a charge for CO2 equivalent emissions from our forest products. This amounted to 150 million tonnes in Canada's reporting to the United Nations for 1998. About two thirds of those products are exported so the ultimate emissions from them will actually be from other countries.

Our Prime Minister announced before the Kyoto meeting in 1997  we would expect to receive credits for our exports of nuclear technology and natural gas. At a subsequent meeting Canada was asked to "refrain" from seeking credits for nuclear technology.

Now it appears Canada's  well-reasoned request for 70 million tonnes of credits for clean energy from hydro electricity exports and natural gas will fall by the wayside.

The Kyoto Protocol does not recognize the fact that Canada is still relatively unpopulated and has great potential for growth - unlike many of the countries that have already ratified Kyoto. Canada is expected, by them, to cap it's greenhouse gas emissions as stringently as them.

We are not compelled to accept Kyoto as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is not getting a fair shake from Kyoto proponents. It seems time that we spurn Kyoto and seriously consider alternatives more appropriate to our growing population and economy.

Yours truly,

 

Duane Pendergast

BACK

    Home Up Services Contacts Commentary Letters Fora Input Publications GHG Emissions Guests What's New Contents