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Saturday, January 15, 2005
Letters Editor
300 - 1450 Don Mills Road
Don Mills, Ontario
Canada
M3B 3R5
Dear Editor:
Andrew Coyne’s discussion of Kyoto (“On Kyoto, we are hypocrites”, NP 05/01/12, A12) seeks the rationale for Canada’s inability to control greenhouse gases. He is surprised that our federal government rejected a simple tradable emission permit system. Instead, a voluntary and regulatory system based on improving energy efficiency and conservation was initiated. Canada’s environmental lobbyists deserve a large part of the credit for our failing approach to greenhouse gas management.
Environmentally oriented organizations have promoted the concept of so-called “no regrets” actions to control emissions. These would ostensibly save energy, save money and simultaneously reduce emissions. Detailed recommendations were carried over from long standing campaigns to conserve energy and increase the efficiency of its use. They were deemed the right thing to do even if global warming turns to be a non issue. Most federal initiatives to control greenhouse gases fit in this “no regrets” category.
Economists, and others who consider the big picture of greenhouse gases, have known for years that such “micro” greenhouse gas management actions will have very little effect on total greenhouse gas emissions. Individual conservation and efficiency improvements are overwhelmed by new uses for energy and increasing use by a growing populace.
Mr. Coyne should not be surprised at all that these “no regrets” initiatives to manage greenhouse gases have turned out to have no results. It’s also no surprise that the environmental groups are loudly promoting the need for even more “no results” action.
Yours truly,
Duane Pendergast