Tories Mislead On Kyoto

In recent days, Ambrose has defended her position on Kyoto, by saying emissions are out of control and the targets are unattainable. What are we to make of this revelation:

A federal report shows Canada's greenhouse gas emissions barely increased from 2003 to 2004, seemingly contradicting claims that emissions are rocketing out of control.

Total emissions rose to 758,000 kilotonnes in 2004 from 754,000 kilotonnes, an increase of less than one per cent.

Repeated references to sharp emissions growth are intended to reinforce the argument that Kyoto targets are not attainable, said Matthew Bramley of the Pembina Institute.

"The reality is that we can still comply, but only if the government moves immediately to put in place the policies and measures that reduce greenhouse emissions while leaving the door open to investing in good projects in developing countries."

If you take these numbers, it makes Ambrose's argument look like complete rubbish. These numbers reaffirm the belief that this government was against Kyoto from the onset and are now looking for excuses to justify their position. Ambrose was railing against Kyoto before Canada had signed on, her opinions are well documented, as are her loyalities to big oil.

Another interesting finding, which may explain why the Tories haven't officially backed out of the Protocol:

Canada would lose international credibility and the ability to influence future climate-change negotiations if it withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol, say briefing documents prepared for Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay.

"Given the Kyoto Protocol's international profile . . . withdrawal from the Protocol would have important foreign policy implications," says the document, marked "secret."

It would appear that Canada still has an opportunity to reduce emissions enough to have a credible program within Kyoto. Ambrose is misleading people, when she suggests that Canada has no hope of meeting the targets. Ambrose has had this defeatist attitude since the election, which speaks more to her own bias than actual analysis of the numbers. The more we learn, the more cuts we see, the more it becomes clear that this government is the environment's enemy. I can't wait for all those "voluntary" measures to fluff up the looming Clean Air Act.