Canadians Favour Kyoto BUT

We want free Kyoto
By LICIA CORBELLA

A new poll finds most Canadians are in favour of Canada meeting its Kyoto targets -- just as long as it doesn't cost them anything.

The Angus Reid Strategies poll released yesterday found 64% of Canadians believe Canada should live up to its Kyoto commitment, which involves cutting greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to 6% below 1990 levels.

But when asked if they'd be willing to pay an additional 25c per litre tax on gasoline to help reach that goal, a whopping 71% of Canadians opposed this policy.

What about car owners being forced to avoid driving one day per week? A full 66% of Canadians oppose that.

In other words, let's meet our Kyoto targets as long as it's someone else who has to pay for being inconvenienced.

Kind of like David Suzuki and Al Gore. They sanctimoniously lecture all of us to cut back on our emissions but when it comes to choosing comfort and luxury or the environment, both men appear to choose comfort and luxury.

The poll, considered the largest survey on climate change ever done in Canada, found that when asked if SUVs or large trucks should be banned except for professional use 60% of those in Quebec were in favour while just 43% of Albertans agreed.

When questioned if there should be a $100 flight tax for every 2,000 km someone flies, only 23% of Albertans were in favour while 36% of Quebecers and 38% of Atlantic Canadians liked the tax.

"It is worth noting that both divisive policies (the SUV and flight tax) placed Alberta and Quebec at opposite ends of the spectrum for eco-friendly behaviour," the pollster reported.

The message being: Alberta bad, Quebec good.

So how realistic is it for Canada to meet its Kyoto commitments, signed by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien in 1998 and ratified in 2002?

According to the Environment Canada web site's summary of 2004 GHGs, to meet our Kyoto target Canada must reduce emissions by 195 megatonnes (a Mt. is one million tonnes.)

But what does that mean? In 2004 Canada's GHG emissions were 758 Mt., which is 34.6% above our Kyoto target of 563 Mt.

So, forget about just banning SUVs. Park every plane, train and automobile and we remove 145 Mt. of CO2 emissions. Close down every mining operation with its 15.4 Mt. That would leave us 34.6 Mt. short.

Shut down all commercial and institutional CO2 emitters with their 37.9 Mt and, hooray, we meet our targets just barely! But who wants to shut down hospitals and cookie factories?

Oil, gas and coal industries produce 154 Mt -- or 20% of this country's CO2.

Shut that down, along with agriculture at 54.9 Mt and we'd be the darlings of the international Kyoto club by exceeding our targets by almost 14 Mt.

Of course, freezing in the dark is hardly an option for most Canadians who can't abide the thought of paying more for their gasoline.

But let's suppose the entire oil sands development in Alberta is shut down. Who would then pay for Quebec and Atlantic Canada's social programs?

Here's a question I'd like Angus Reid to ask respondents. Would you be willing to lose your job or your house to help Canada meet it's Kyoto targets?

No, didn't think so.

Albertans have lived through that with the National Energy Plan. They know better.