Kyoto Be Dammed! ‘I’m Dreaming Of A Green Christmas’

A Commentary by Doug Draper

 One of the arguments often used against the Conservative government of Stephen Harper by its critics is that thanks to its policies, Canada is losing its reputation as a world leader in such areas as health care, peace keeping and the environment.

A green mushy lawn, along with deflated lawn ornaments, is now what we have of a display that has won awards in the past. It's a green Christmas and let's hope for many more. Bring on climate change! Photo by Doug Draper

 I’ve got to confess. I’ve been among those critics, especially when it comes to what I’ve viewed as the Harper government’s failure to be a leader in making decisions on environmental issues that have potentially catastrophic consequences, not only for Canada but for the rest of the world.

All of that changed last week though when Peter Kent, the environment minister for the Harper government, announced Canada’s intentions to be the first of more than 140 nations to pull out of a Kyoto agreement our country signed in the 1990s to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases to combat climate change. If that isn’t showing leadership on an environment issue of international importance, then what the hell is?!!!

 Mind you it is not the kind of leadership tree huggers like me have been hoping for from our Canadian government, but it’s leadership just the same. And you’ve got to give Kent, Harper and company credit for being bold enough to come right out and say, as they did while an international summit for revising the Kyoto accord was still in progress in South Africa last week, that they don’t think the plan will work if major greenhouse gas emitting nations like China and India don’t get on board.

 Let’s at least give them credit for coming right out and saying that that the reduction targets discussed at the summit could hurt a Canadian economy now so dependent on the fortunes of the oil-producing tar sands in Alberta. It’s one helluva lot more truthful than the climate-change denier routine we see being played out, right to the last string, by the lying, thieving climate change deniars, so many of home are being paid off by the petroleum industry (just as corrupted scientist were paid off by the tobacco industry)  to our personal and planetary health.

 Having said that, I’ve got to say that as a reporter who has covered environment issues for more than three decades now, my initial reaction to news that Canada pulled out of Kyoto was one of shame. I drew a line back to the 80s when our country was still taking progressive steps to combat pollution we had some legitimate claim to showing some world leadership as an environmental protector.

 Then the shame was followed by a sense of resignation, which is odd for me because I’ve almost always believed that environmental protection is worth fighting for, even if the odds against winning seem insurmountable. After all, the quality of our lives and those of future generations could be diminished if we don’t at least try to do something. Yet on the climate change issue, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that there are so many entrenched interests out there when it comes to protecting a status quo dependent on fossil fuels like oil and coal, nothing of any significance will be done until we hit what some ecologists call a “tipping point” where the frequency of flooding, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe weather reach a point where the costs of that outweigh the benefits of doing nothing but let the oil industry control run our governments and our lives.

 By then, of course, it could be too late, which brings me to my darkest moments when I throw my hands up to a point where I say; ‘Who cares. If we are going to have warming weather, punctuated by the odd flood, violent wind storm or whatever, then let’s make the best of it.’

As someone who doesn’t care much for winter, I can relish in these unusually warm December days we’ve been experiencing now and sing ‘I’m dreaming of a green Christmas.’ Want to have palm trees and all-year golf up here, then fine with me. And if there is a freak wind or ice storm or flooding and my property gets damaged, why should I care as long as one of my trees or my house doesn’t fall on my head. The insurance companies are jacking up the rates to pay for it anyway. Ask almost any insurance agent if they believe in climate change and they will tell you. Why do you think the cost of property insurance is going through the roof? The insurance industry is actually using climate change as an excuse to jack up property insurance premiums. 

That’s okay though isn’t it? Why not exploit the climate change business? Why not make the best of it. If we want a warmer climate around here, even if it means a few flooding rains, tornadoes and damaging wind storms, then let’s bring it on. If there is anything I can do to speed the situation up by idling my car engine longer, cranking up my home furnace to sweaty temperatures, jack up the air conditioner in the summer to keep it freezy enough to preserve a plate of cheese left on a table for five days, then let me know. If there is anything I can do to speed up the process of having no snow in Canada, maybe the Harper government can send us a brochure on how we can all collectively help. And it will all involve burning up more oil such as that coming out of the tar sands, so it will be great for the economy.

 At the end of it all, I wish to applaud Canada’s federal government for at least being honest enough to tell us it feels it is too costly to our tar sand enterprises to do much of anything climate change.

 So there we are folks. Enjoy the unseasonably warm conditions, while they last, and have your selves a merry green Christmas.

 (Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post below.)