[VegChat] Vote earth

[Jayme Dunlop]

I read an article here in Toronto (so sue me, I don't live in Ottawa 
anymore :]) on the prospects of the monthly bus pass tax break.  The 
TTC said that if they were provided 20$ to reduce the monthly pass, 
they would simply raise the price of a monthly pass to offset the 
taxbreak.  What would we get?  Well nothing, no change, zip.  I'm sure 
allot of other transit systems would act accordingly.  

Don't forget to rock the vote tomorrow, i'm sure most polls will be 
open from 9am-9pm.  Go to:
http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/voting.aspx?L=e&ED=35062&EV=25&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&Prov=ON&ProvID=35&MapID=&QID=3&PageID=0&TPageID=

to find the location in your area.  Don't forget, even if your not 
registered, you can still walk in and vote (don't forget your photo id 
and a piece of mail if your id doesn't have the proper address). 

Edelweiss D'Andrea wrote:


>Thanks for your feedback, K.
>
>I agree with most, but would like to mention that while subsidizing 
public
>transit sounds good, it's a not cost effective.
>
>The Conservatives would shift $2 billion from the Liberals' five-year, 
$10
>billion climate-change plan to pay for the 16 per cent tax break on bus 
and
>subway passes. That's 20% of the climate change budget.
>
>Dion estimates that would save, at most, 800,000 tonnes of greenhouse 
gas
>emissions each year by getting commuters out of cars and onto public
>transit. That's a tiny fraction of the 270 million tonnes Canada must 
cut
>each year to meet its Kyoto target.
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: vegchat-bounces at ottawaveg.com
>[mailto:vegchat-bounces at ottawaveg.com]On Behalf Of K
>  Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 12:53 PM
>  To: For all discussion not animal related (health, environment,etc).
>Called &quot, chat&quot,because this is for all kinds of frequent

>interaction.
>  Subject: Re: [VegChat] Vote earth
>
>
>  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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