Sunday, November 24, 2002
The Editor,
Calgary Herald
Dear Editor,
Catherine Ford "half- jokingly" suggests ("Sign Kyoto, put it on a shelf and forget it", Sunday, November 24, A17) that Canada just sign Kyoto and bury it in good intentions.
Catherine! I have had the time to study the federal plan on Kyoto. I believe our resourceful and imaginative federal government has scooped your proposal.
The federal plan is a master of compromise and accommodation. It includes a number of efficiency and conservation measures intended to please Kyoto advocates. Alberta and industry concerns are countered with a generous allocation of emission permits and an international trading scheme expected to keep any Kyoto induced costs to a very tolerable level. These measures may do little to reduce emissions in Canada. Not to worry. Canada can buy emission credits from outside, thus providing financial help to other countries. The credits can be purchased with funding currently directed to other forms of foreign aid. Finally, the anti-Kyoto crowd can rest assured that we have another ten years of study time to evaluate the reality of the climate change issue while proceeding with business as usual. This plan fits all.
So why is the federal government so determined to spoil the Christmas season with a rancorous and divisive vote to support the plan to ratify Kyoto? It will take a few weeks for the beauty of the plan to sink in. Why not delay the vote, and ratification, till next year to let that happen?
Yours truly,
Duane Pendergast
Lethbridge