Is David Suzuki Going To Have To Choke A Bitch?

This morning my Aunt* handed me an article to read. Published in our weekly/bi-weekly township newsletter, it was written by our (Conservative) M.P. and it�s on the Conservative government�s party-line on Kyoto and global warming.

First, she points out that the Liberal government was actually raising the levels of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) during their time in office. She then goes on to state that in order to reach the targets of the Kyoto protocol that, �starting in 2008, Canada would be required to reduce its GHG emissions by an average of 33% each year of the Kyoto commitment period.�

Our learned M.P. then goes on to state that while this isn�t an impossible feat, it�s just that it would cost �an awful economic impact� which would result in lost jobs, a decreases in the income of Canadians (about $4000 worth of personal disposable income a year), and that gas (up to $1.60/litre in a couple of years) and energy prices would increase. (These were the same reasons why Bush�s government rejected the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change�s suggestions on the subject.) Thus, she concludes, we couldn�t possibly do the responsible thing and try to meet the Kyoto guidelines. Rather, the Conservatives have chosen to � over the next 3-5 years, mind you � gradually stop the increase in GHGs.

While this plan does eliminate the chance that these things will, in fact, occur, the Conservative�s plan does precisely FUCK ALL for climate change.

Don�t get me wrong. Job losses, income decreases, energy and gas prices increading, and recessions all fucking suck. We should try to avoid these things at all cost. However, the cost of ignoring climate change and not doing everything that we can possibly can to stop it will cost a whole hell of a lot more in the future.** The Stern Report estimates that doing nothing will cost every country in the world between 5-20% of the World�s Gross Domestic Product (this isn�t taking into account those pessimists who predict that climate change could herald the end of civilization as we know it).

But it�s okay, because we won�t be paying those costs.

Christ. I�m so ashamed of the Canadian government right now.

The thing that pisses me off the most is that people will look at the Conservative�s plan and say, �See, they are doing something about climate change� when they�re really not. Worse off, they�re associating any action that will have a positive effect on climate change with economic recession (thereby making it less likely that they�ll support any changes that will actually do anything).

* Though she�s infinitely more open minded about political discussions than my Uncle is, my Aunt and my Uncle are both Conservatives. It�s no secret that I loathe the Conservative party�s politics and am about as Leftist as you can get. Yeah, we don�t discuss politics at all.
** Oh, but it�s in the future. We don�t have to worry about that! *Cue petulant whining* We certainly don�t have to change our precious lifestyles right this second, do we? Change is hard. Change is scary. I don�t want to give up my SUV. I don�t want to pay more for gas! Can�t someone else do it?*End petulant whining.*