Gore Slams Canadian Climate Plan

Gore Slams Canadian Climate Plan



   
April 2007 -  – Former U.S. Vice 
President Al Gore has created a furor in Canada over the 
Conservative Government's new plan to impose mandatory 
greenhouse gas emissions targets on industry. The plan 
supercedes Canada's legally binding commitments under the 
Kyoto Protocol. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore narrates
 "An Inconvenient 
Truth." 
In Toronto to present his global warming documentary "An 
Inconvenient Truth" at an environmental show on Saturday, Gore 
said, "In my opinion, it is a complete and total fraud. It is 
designed to mislead the Canadian people." 
Environment Minister John Baird shot back with a statement 
later Saturday, saying, ""It is difficult to accept criticism 
from someone who preaches about climate change, but who never 
submitted the Kyoto Protocol to a vote in the United States 
Senate, who never did as much as Canada is now doing to fight 
climate change during eight years in Office, and who has 
campaigned exclusively for hundreds of Democratic candidates 
who have weaker plans to fight greenhouse gases than Canada's 
New Government." 
"It is equally regrettable that the former U.S. vice president 
decided to speak out without ever having been briefed on the 
contents of our plan," said Baird. 
"The fact is our plan is vastly tougher than any measures 
introduced by the administration of which the former Vice 
President was a member." 
Canadian Environment Minister John Baird 
The Conservatives' plan outlines intenvironment newsity-based emissions 
targets that will not be implemented until 2010, and will have 
no hard caps on emissions. The government's announced target 
is by 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent 
below the 2006 level. 
Based on this plan, Canada will be in violation of 
international law and will be the only Kyoto Protocol nation 
to have reneged on its commitments. 
Gore said he was surprised to see that the Conservative plan 
uses the concept of "intenvironment newsity reduction," which he said is a 
"poll-tested phrase" developed in Houston by the so-called 
think tanks financed by polluters. 
The administration of President George W. Bush uses the 
measure of greenhouse gas intenvironment newsity - a comparison of 
emissions with economic growth - rather than the absolute 
emissions reductions measurements under the Kyoto Protocol. 
Baird said the Conservatives' plan will for the first time 
"force" industry to reduce greenhouse gases. Baird said the 
plan would bring down greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the 
government's goal of "an absolute reduction of 150 megatonnes 
by 2020." 
In announcing the new plan, Baird blamed the previous Liberal 
government for Canada's rising greenhouse gas emissions. 
"The previous government was never able to put on the brakes. 
We will do that beginning today," said Baird, pledging to stop 
the rise in Canada's greenhouse gases "in three to five 
years." 
But Canada has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and the new plan 
does not meet the legally binding Kyoto target of a reduction 
of six percent of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 
2012 - five years from now. 
The Conservative government rejected the Kyoto targets, 
stating that Canada could not meet them. 
"If the Liberal government had instituted this plan in 1998 
when they signed Kyoto, Canada would have achieved its 
emissions target. Canada would be at Kyoto today," said Baird. 
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion served as environment minister in 
the previous Liberal Government. 
But Liberal Leader Stephane Dion supported Gore's assessment 
of the Conservatives' plan. At a festival in Toronto he said, 
"The world expects Canada will do its share - more than that, 
that Canada will be a leader and we are failing the world. We 
are failing Canadians." 
New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton, who was at the same 
festival, also backed Gore's criticism. "Let me remind Mr. 
Baird and the Liberals before him that the U.S. has done 
better in reducing their emissions than Canada has under the 
Liberals and the Conservatives," he said. 
Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May, said Saturday that 
the Conservatives' plan is "not a climate change plan, it's a 
climate disaster plan." 
"The framework makes clear that the Harper Government is 
abandoning any attempt to reach Canada's legally binding 
targets under the Kyoto Protocol," said May. 
Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May 
"This plan doesn't even come close to Kyoto," May said. "In 
2020, eight years after the target period, they're still 12 
percent over Kyoto. The Conservative government is trying to 
confuse Canadians. But I have confidence that people will see 
this plan for what it really is – a complete abdication of the 
government's Kyoto obligations." 
Joslyn Higginson, of Greenpeace's Climate and Energy Campaign, 
said, "Only two days after the release of the Harper 
Government's so-called climate change plan, Canada's 
international image has been dragged into the mud, adding to 
the tidal wave of domestic criticism from all quarters." 
"Al Gore is the single most influential advocate for the 
environment out there, so his criticism and his opinion will 
carry weight internationally. That's disturbing for Canada, 
for our image and our foreign policy - and for Canadians, who 
want to see us respect our international commitments," said 
Higginson. 
Greenpeace supports the Liberals' Bill C-30 which amends three 
separate federal Acts - the Canadian Environmental Protection 
Act, 1999, the Energy Efficiency Act, and the Motor Vehicle 
Fuel Consumption Standards Act, which is not in force. 
Bill C-30 seeks to reduce the risks associated with air 
pollutants and greenhouse gases. 
In his remarks Saturday, Gore acknowledged he is not a 
Canadian citizen and said he has "no right to interfere in 
your decisions." 
But Gore said, "the world looks to Canada for moral leadership 
and that's why this week's announcement was so shocking." 
Baird said he is ready to meet with Gore at any time to 
discuss the climate change threat and the Conservative 
Government's "tough plan to reduce Canada's emissions." 

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