The Kyoto Protocol: Where did it come from? Where might it take us?


	I have a few points of particular concern

	The concept of a "Made in Alberta Plan" is nice jingoism - and an oxymoron. Greenhouse gas emissions from the USA and China are mixed into the atmosphere and blown all over the world. They will have far more effect on our climate than Alberta' emissions.

	Energy efficiency improvements reduce emissions? History says otherwise. Steam engines of 200 years ago were less than 1 % efficient. The current day equivalent gas turbine power plant approaches 60% efficiency. Where have emissions gone? Up and up. We developed grossly inefficient expensive computers 50 years ago. Now they are small, efficient, cheap and numerous. It seems efficiency improvements ultimately lead to proliferation of the technology.

	Canada expects to get some modest credits for forest sinks (20-30 Mtonnes annually). At the same time we consider our forest products to be a source of 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in Canada. The products go into houses and most are exported. They retain carbon as a sink. Why are we not credited, instead of charged, for that? That is a paradox I can't understand.

	Kyoto covers only about 1/3 of the world's emissions, now that the USA has dropped out. Would Canada and the world be better off if we were to try and partner with the US in an alternative parallel emission reduction strategy?