Just as the majority of countries have come to a inadequate binding agreement on the 1987 Kyoto Protocol to fight global warming, Canada backs out due to costly consequences of their poor environmental track record over the last decade.
Environment Minister Peter Kent announced recently that Canada is officially pulling out of the new Kyoto agreement, claiming that it would cost the country billions in fines for not meeting emission checks, and also that the agreement is outdated.
Does the Albert Tar Sands influence this decision?
Canada’s move to withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol show that there is nothing binding out it. Countries can and will leave at will if they feel it doesn’t fit their economic or political agenda. This has raised great concerns from other countries around the world.
Several countries have since lashed out at Canada for its evading commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the international accord.
Countries including India expressed their worry that Canada’s quit from the binding Kyotoagreement would jeopardize the future conferences.
France’s foreign ministry called the move “bad news for the fight against climate change”, a sentiment echoed by some other countries.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry told reporters that the decision was “regrettable and flies in the face of the efforts of the international community”.
Japan’s environment minister, Goshi Hosono, also urged Canada to stay in the protocol.
Kent, however, claimed that Canada would have to pay billions to meet its Kyoto protocol target. Canada was meant to cut emissions by 6% by 2012 on 1990 levels, but instead they have risen by around a third.
It’s all about the Alberta Tar Sands
It’s about the money for Canada. The oil rich tar sand fields in Alberta are expected to continue to bring wealth to a country that has played the previous role of preservers of nature. It’s another example of how greed run politics.
I am equally disgusted by Canada’s behavior. The tar sands are one of the worst environmental disasters, both for the local biosphere as for global warming. Net Energy gain makes no sense, this is only about money.
I am reading Deep Green Revolution now, and offer to write a review for this site.
Kamiel Verwer
Founder of Kind*mankind
Kamiel, Thanks for commenting. It will continually be an uphill battle to fight the mining of the tar sands, and unfortunately one we will ultimately fail at unless the complete system of our governments changes. With corporate money influencing congress today, we can’t win. That is what must change first, before there are any chances at fighting climate change.
Thanks for the book review offer, but at this point we just cover current events.
That’s true, Canada’s going for the money… How did Harper win a majority…
I also wonder why our oil prices are still high… when we have oil in Alberta…
Someone tell me what’s going on…