Beyond The Rhetoric

The Conservatives talk a good game on climate change, but beyond the rhetoric, we see the following:

Environment Canada has terminated a funding contract to the B.C. chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada, causing the possible closing of a climate-change program initiative.

The money had been targeted for the Sierra Club's new House Cooling initiative, in which groups of workers, neighbours or others gather in one member's house to discuss climate change and how they, as individuals or as a group, can reduce their carbon footprint.

Sierra Club B.C. supplies materials that give information about the practical steps people can take to reduce household greenhouse-gas emissions. At the end of the gathering, guests are invited to form their own Carbon Emission Reduction Club that will meet regularly so people can support each other in their greening efforts.

Sierra Club B.C. executive director Kathryn Molloy said she was outraged by the decision to cancel funding.

"I would like clarity as to why the program has been terminated," she said. "I was told this was the best proposal EcoAction had ever seen.

Quite curious too, that this program was just approved a mere 3 1/2 months, with the contract signed. What could possibly have changed in such a short timeframe? Aside from that, the program seems entirely practical, apparently in line with what the government says it wants to achieve.

So, what's changed since May 16th?

"At the Sierra Club we think this is a tremendously courageous effort on Dion's part and he and the Liberals deserve a lot of credit for going this way, especially at a time when gasoline prices are going up and Canadians have this rather peculiar obsession with gas prices."

Stephen Hazell, executive director of the Sierra Club

Hazell, also went public last week, when the government's lobbying schedule was released, showing a decided preference for huddling with big oil:

In Hazell's view, Harper's PMO tries to punish its harshest critics by limiting access to influential decision-makers within the PMO.

Anyone who doubts that this government wouldn't be petty enough to "punish" an organization that has supported the Liberal plan, been quite critical of the government of late, simply doesn't understand the small animal we're dealing with. No proof, but the timing, not to mention a complete funding 180, is noteworthy, to say the least.