Our Daily Dose Of Emmissions

Some little things the "save the world" movement fail to mention in their tirades......

EDITORIAL: There's too much gas in the air

We think of global warming in connection with another scientific phenomenon. To us, global warming is the black hole down which all rational discussion about the environment disappears.

First, the alien pod people snatched Prime Minister Stephen Harper's brain. After initially treating the environment as an afterthought, now he's cozying up to, gawd help us, NDP Leader Jack Layton to make sure he gets it right next time. Not exactly the fountain of wisdom we would have chosen, prime minister. But we can count seats in the House, too.

That said, does anybody in Ottawa worry anymore about non-Kyoto stuff like cleaning up toxic waste dumps? Dealing with toxic substances inside homes, offices, schools? Tainted water on reserves? Storing nuclear waste? Cleaning up industrial pollutants in the air that are not greenhouse gases?

Don't tell us this isn't a complicated issue. And don't tell Layton -- who yesterday was dinged by his former union pal, Buzz Hargrove, who warned him that pushing Harper too hard on emissions standards for cars could result in thousands of lost jobs in the Ontario auto sector.

Indeed, we hear Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is planning on attacking Harper (if he's still in power) on greenhouse gas emissions in October's provincial election.

Dalton ... be careful. Don't make us have to remind you of broken promise No. 30 in the 231 you made in the last election. To wit: "We will shut down Ontario's coal-burning power plants by 2007." How's that one been working out for you, premier? Did you switch off the Nanticoke generating station, Canada's No. 1 greenhouse gas emitter, and not tell us, you sly devil?

Don't think so, as we're pretty sure we would have heard the screaming from all those voters who would have been left freezing in the dark.

Besides, Dalton, didn't you warn Harper before the Tories released their now-defunct Clean Air Act not to be too tough on Ontario's auto sector? Gee. Guess it's not so easy being green, eh premier?

And we're at a loss to understand why Stephane "I named my dog Kyoto" Dion and the Grits are upset with Harper for saying he's going to miss Canada's Kyoto targets by 50% in 2012. Yeah ... so? You missed them by 35% until you were tossed from office. What's your point?