[VegChat] Vote earth

[K]

The GREEN Party is the only party against the seal hunt.
   
  Both The Citizen and Jim Harris, leader of the GREENS, have stated that the GREENS stand a decent chance of getting elected here in Ottawa Centre, as well as in BC Gulf Islands.
   
  Interestingly, I noted an article which speaks of Harper's intention to give public transit users a tax credit, since they are using public transit as opposed to driving.   I don't know how one could track this use to determine who is eligible, but it is the way to go.  Reward those who walk, bike, take the bus, subway, etc.  
   
  As you mention and has been widely stated during the election, emissions have increased during the Liberals reign.  The NDP has always relied on support from large industries (unions), which are pollution causing, such as the automotive industry, although now Buzz Hargrove apparently is campaigning with Martin.
   
  K

Edelweiss D'Andrea <edandrea at magma.ca> wrote:
      Vote EARTH this (and every) election.

The following letter I wrote to the editor was published in the January 17 Ottawa Citizen:
  Leading parties bad news for planet
  
The election of a Conservative government in Canada could jeopardize progress on urgently needed international cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

Stephen Harper re-iterated his party's intention to renege on Canada's obligations to the Kyoto Protocol in 2006. The Conservative party plans on "initiating a made-in-Canada plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," which would replace commitments to the Kyoto Protocol.

The Liberals, in power for 12 years, have allowed greenhouse gas emission levels to increase steadily. Canada's emissions are 24 per cent higher than they were in 1990.

Submissions for the Kyoto Protocol negotiation process begin this spring. If Canada, as chair to the conference of the parties, doesn't continue to endorse the Kyoto Protocol and start the negotiation process as planned, the process could stall.

This is unbelievably bad news for the planet.

According to World Wildlife Fund, David Suzuki Foundation, and Pembina Institute, a temperature increase of two degrees C above levels in the pre-industrial age will change the planet's climate dramatically, after which the temperature will spiral irreversibly upwards. The industrial world needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions so that levels stabilize and don't exceed 400 parts per million. Industrialized countries need to make the cuts well before 2050.

A recent report published by Pembina Institute and David Suzuki Foundation says that industrialized countries must reduce emissions by 25 to 30 per cent by 2020 and by 85 to 90 per cent by 2050 (relative to 1990 levels).

The report says, as an industrialized nation, Canada needs to reduce emissions to 25 per cent by 2020 relative to 1990 levels. This means that Canada has to reduce its emissions by 49 per cent over the next 16 years.

In Canada, climate change is expected to result in water shortages, flooding of coastal areas, stress-related disorders caused by environmental migration, and extinction of the polar bear and other northern species. 

Edelweiss D'Andrea, BA, BSc
edandrea at magma.ca

  -------------------

Greenpeace sent out a questionnaire to the 5 major federal parties asking them a series of questions about the environment and posted them here:
http://www.greenpeace.ca/e/feature/elections2006


Sierra Club of Canada also compiled answers to an environmental questionnaire: http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/vote-canada/2006/index.html


-------------------


Canadian Climate Coalition denounces Conservative Party for ducking the issues

January 17, 2006
(Ottawa, Victoria, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Woodbridge, and Montreal)

The Canadian Climate Coalition, a nation-wide network of groups working on climate action, sent a questionnaire to all five major parties to verify positions on the Kyoto Protocol.  Only the Conservative Party refused to respond.

"The purpose of the survey was to determine future actions to reduce greenhouse gases in Canada.  Only the NDP and the Green Party were prepared to state specific targets for future action.  The Liberals have committed in general terms to long term targets after launching the process to negotiate post-2012 emission reductions last month in Montreal," noted Brent R. Kopperson, Executive Director of the Windfall Ecology Centre.

There is a growing consensus among scientists that global emissions must be reduced by 30% below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid hitting a "tipping point" in the atmosphere of 400 parts per million carbon dioxide. 

"According to Mr. Harper's public statements, a Conservative Party government would ignore the first stage Kyoto commitment to reduce greenhouse gases by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012.  Given the urgency of the need to reduce far more by 2020, the Conservative Party position represents a significant threat to progress in confronting climate change," said Gaile Whelan Enns of Manitoba Wildlands.

"It appears that a Canadian government under Stephen Harper would move Canada more into the same camp as U.S. President George W. Bush," noted Kathryn Malloy, Executive Director of the British Columbia Chapter of Sierra Club of Canada.

The main plank of the Conservative Party platform on climate, the tax deduction for transit passes is, according to the Canadian Climate Coalition, a gross abuse of funds and an unproductive boondoggle.

"Harper's plan will cost 200 to 800 times more for each tonne of emissions than Canada's current Project Green, which was, in fact, 'made in Canada'," according to Guy Dauncey of the BC Sustainable Energy Association. "If this is the way that Harper's 'made in Canada' plan to reduce emissions begins, then he's certainly not a fiscal conservative!"

See attached Response Grid to the Questions Posed to the five main parties by the Canadian Climate Coalition and the Backgrounder on the Conservative Party position on Climate Change. Please consult with the Coalition's website: www3.sympatico.ca/lothcol/Election2006ClimateCoalition/
  


		
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