I won’t be much affected by climate change, but my grandchildren will pay a very high price. For older folks, watching this country do the wrong things for the wrong reasons is difficult. Many of us care much about the world we leave to future generations. Political leaders in Canada care too little.
Willingness to spend $40 billion for a fossil fuel pipeline is just one of the reasons Canada is sixth worst of 67 countries ranked in the 2023 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). This annual review is published by:
CCPI explains the reasons for Canada’s low rating in these categories:
- GHG Emissions,
- Renewable Energy,
- Energy Use,
- Energy Policy.
The CCPI report notes that while Canadians have been paying increasing levels of carbon tax, “most of the emissions generated by oil and gas producers are exempted, meaning these companies pay a very low average price for their emissions.”
In British Columbia, carbon tax revenue has been growing steadily. Despite frequent use of the term, I find little evidence the tax is a “revenue neutral” instrument. Carbon pricing helps fight climate change, but only if applied effectively.
Petroleum promoters and their financiers have captured the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan and dictate policy choices in other jurisdictions. Industry lobbyists have blunted or derailed urgently needed emissions cap regulations. When it comes to climate action, Canada chooses to be a world trailer, not a world leader.
The country is increasing oil and gas production and has no credible phase-out plans. It’s like talking about a diet while gobbling a 40-pack of Timbits®.
Categories: Climate Change
in-sights.ca 
Norm, the truth is, there will be no decline in environmental degradation until WE curb Growth. In fact the degrading of our world will increase in line with GROWTH.
Carbon taxes, EV’s, recycling bins are all window dressing, does it really mater if we have another million petrol vehicles on the roads or EV’s? The answer is NO, if WE really want to improve our environment WE need to get a million vehicles off our roads.
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A million fewer cars on the road. Its a good start. However, when it comes to carbon and all that not so good air, the plastics in the world and its manufacture is much worse when it comes to producing carbon. While you’re getting rid of a million cars could you take care of the plastics also. Most of it we don’t need. Milk in plastic????? Not so long ago, it was in bottles and they were re used. I didn’t ask for plastic milk bottles.
As to all the programs we have for recycling, etc. just gives the population a sense they are doing something, while nothing improves.
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Canada is no longer a world leader, as we lost that decades ago.
As current prime Minister Trudeau is busily trying to remake Canada into his own image, we have succeeded only becoming a world class laughing stock.
Canada has become a nation of rubes, lead by rubes.
Sadly, the Canada we once knew is no more and is as dead as a Norwegian Blue Parrot.
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I think you and I are fairly close in age, and I disagree about the effects we will feel…watched a report on the spread of fire ants into Sicily, looking at migrations of climate refugees already underway, increased storm in Tornado Alley, conflicts over diminishing water resources, Fort Mac under evacuation alert again. If we die quickly enough, we’ll miss most of the worst, but it’s already happening, even though media and governments continue to pretend otherwise. At my granddaughter’s 20th celebration on Friday, I had a niggling little voice chanting Mose Allison in my inner ear: “How much pain can a woman stand/looking at her teen-age daughter/just another lamb for slaughter.”
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