Christian Conservative Christian "Independent"

I'm an evangelical Christian, member of the CPC, but presently & unjustly exiled to wander the political wilderness.
All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Rona shouldn't resign

Those lefty environmental groups are calling on Rona Ambrose to resign from her post as chair of an international climate change meeting in Germany next week because "she's not committed to Kyoto". They think that Kyoto is the be-all and end-all of climate change.

It's not. This upcoming meeting in Germany is on climate change, and Canada is committed to preventing climate change... however, Kyoto is not the ONLY means out there. From CTV: "The first two days of the meetings in Germany will be focused on implementing the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, which was the precursor to Kyoto."

And how's this for a ludicrous line...
"This party that's in power now campaigned about the dishonesty of other parties and on this issue of Kyoto, they couldn't be more dishonest than they're behaving right now," John Bennett, the chair of the Climate Action Network told a news conference Wednesday.

"An honourable minister doesn't continue to participate in something they disagree with."
Dishonest? Far from it. She's never said we aren't committed to climate change... she has CLEARLY stated that Kyoto is not the way to go.

And the REASON we can't keep our Kyoto commitments is because the Liberals signed the document, THEN DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT. If we're going to assign blame, let's put the blame where it belongs.

Besides... if these enviro guys are serious about Kyoto, they should be scrapping all their cars immediately. And they should stop using those helicopters they use to shoot all their nature documentaries, as they emit greenhouse gases. Tie up the "Rainbow Warrior", and quit travelling from coast to coast calling on the government to restrict greenhouse gases.

Funny thing is, they want to start looking "Beyond Kyoto". I agree. Let's get beyond the failed Kyoto agreement, and start working on real solutions.

posted by Christian Conservative @ 2:25 p.m.  

14 Comments:

  • At Thu May 11, 03:32:00 p.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    when compared to the Liberals' favourite whipping boy, the USofA, the late Martin government's motto for Kyoto should have been the old adage on love, somewhat re-worked: "Better to have signed and failed than not to have signed and succeeded." De jure environmentalists, de facto failures. Their supporters are probably in the same league.

    Stay the course, with Minister Ambrose all the way.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 03:56:00 p.m. EDT, Blogger Blake Kennedy said…

    Andrew...WTF?!?

    "Besides... if these enviro guys are serious about Kyoto, they should be scrapping all their cars immediately. And they should stop using those helicopters they use to shoot all their nature documentaries, as they emit greenhouse gases. Tie up the "Rainbow Warrior", and quit travelling from coast to coast calling on the government to restrict greenhouse gases."

    Could this rhetoric be any lamer? I'm not a fan of how Kyoto was implemented (no costing, no estimates of benefits, no alternatives, seemingly more a wealth-transfer program from North to South than actual environmental policy, no debate in the House, etc.) but the Kyoto Protocol doesn't call for the elimination of cars, helicopters, or naval vessels, just for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The rest of your post isn't bad - except for the fact that you fail to detail any of the alternatives to Kyoto, the same way Kyoto didn't.

    I think the best thing to do would be to pick a clear alternative to Kyoto and defend how it is superior, either in environmental results, administration, or cost. Taking the Party tack of, "we're finding something else" is...unsatisfactory. And I'm not a total granola-eating, backpack-wearing tree hugger; although I find a lot of correspondance in belief with some of them. But I think in such huge areas of global concern, like climate change, you need to be very, very careful in suggesting policy. We don't get a second chance with this world, and I know the politically expedient thing is not always the future-conscious thing. Just firing back that you're opposed to Kyoto solves nothing. Why are you opposed to Kyoto? What is better? Why is that better? etc. That's how public policy is done.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 04:20:00 p.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I just sold my house and car and traded it in for a granola-based dwelling and a made-in-china bike. I am so scared of the Conservatives that I must take medication. I am so very scared.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 05:00:00 p.m. EDT, Blogger Christian Conservative said…

    Blake, I was going for the over-the-top style with my "park your boats, cars, etc." comment. There's no real seriousness to it, as 1) I know they won't anyway and 2) it won't make a huge dent in emissions anyway.

    As for why I don't like Kyoto, I discussed some of that previously... mainly because as you said, it looks more like a wealth re-distribution scheme than an actual solid plan. Having read most of the document, we'd be on the hook for millions, potentially billions, because we'd have to pay for programs for emission reductions in many poorer nations... when we don't even have the money to keep to our own botched commitments! (thanks to the Libs)

     

  • At Thu May 11, 05:00:00 p.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    --From CTV: "The first two days of the meetings in Germany will be focused on implementing the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, which was the precursor to Kyoto."--


    OK, so Ambrose should resign after the first two days.


    "The initial two days of meetings in Germany will be followed by negotiations on the Kyoto targets set for 2012 and after. Kyoto targets are enforced under international law."

    It clearly says there "Kyoto targets are enforced under international law." The Conservatives have said that they will take no part in this. They have said that they are looking for a solution outside of Kyoto. A made in Canada solution. They are looking at joining the Asia-Pacific Pact. Therefore Ambrose should not be taking part in these meetings after the first two days and certainly should not be chairing the meetings.

    --Funny thing is, they want to start looking "Beyond Kyoto". I agree. Let's get beyond the failed Kyoto agreement, and start working on real solutions.--

    30 out of 34 countries will meet their targets. The UK has decreased their emissions by at least 14%. Just because Canada has done nothing about Climate Change does not mean that Kyoto has failed. We have failed.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 05:12:00 p.m. EDT, Blogger Christian Conservative said…

    Trevor, it was the previous Liberal government that failed.

    Now we have to deal with it. So, we're gonna have to come up with a new and reasonable plan, set a timetable, and get a move on with it.

    Until there is full party support for a "new made in Canada solution", don't look for the Tories to bring anything forward... it would be a waste of "political capital". And until the Opposition parties stop touting Kyoto as "THE ONLY WAY", things will go nowhere fast.

    Either full party support, or a Conservative majority. Take your pick.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 05:38:00 p.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    If you want work towards reducing green house gas emissions you could start with transferring the cost of our polluting to the people who benefit from it by tacking on a tax for each barrel of oil sold to pay for emission credits. You could also argue for E85 as it is far more environmentally friendly. There are other things but they have already been touched on in the conservative budget.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 05:44:00 p.m. EDT, Blogger Blake Kennedy said…

    "Having read most of the document, we'd be on the hook for millions, potentially billions, because we'd have to pay for programs for emission reductions in many poorer nations... when we don't even have the money to keep to our own botched commitments! (thanks to the Libs)"

    Okay, again with the Liberal-blaming. Last I looked, the Liberals were out of power and the Conservatives were in. So what are the Conservatives going to do? It's one thing to say, "The Liberals didn't do anything" (conveniently failing to mention that the Conservatives were the Official Opposition against the Liberals and opposed the Kyoto Protocol implementation); it's entirely another to say, "This is what the Conservatives are actually going to do." What actual made-in-Canada plan do they have to reduce emissions? Because I haven't heard any yet.

    And second of all, it's the third world that does need investment in green technologies and more conscientious development. They can't afford that themselves, which means somebody's going to have to pay for that. Either we pay for it with a few million or billion dollars now, or pay for it with worse health and more miserable citizens later. I don't know about you, but I have a definite preference.

    Now, at this point you'd be right to question "just how much benefit would Kyoto have?" and "exactly how much is it going to cost?" and "is the benefit worth the cost?" Nobody knows, because nobody's saying. But I do know that the time for cheap yak on the environment is over.

     

  • At Thu May 11, 06:00:00 p.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Christian Conservative,

    --it was the previous Liberal government that failed.--

    No kidding.


    --Until there is full party support for a "new made in Canada solution", don't look for the Tories to bring anything forward... it would be a waste of "political capital". And until the Opposition parties stop touting Kyoto as "THE ONLY WAY", things will go nowhere fast.--

    Sounds like we agree that Ambrose should resign. The Conservatives will not support Kyoto. So why? I repeat why? Is she going to be chairing a set of meetings for Countries that SUPPORT Kyoto? A meeting with the intent of setting up a plan for extending Kyoto beyond 2012. It makes no sense. What is the point? The only point of her attempting to stay on is that Conservatives know that the majority of Canadians support Kyoto. Her staying on is a dishonest attempt by Conservatives to keep Canadians in the dark regarding Kyoto.

    --Either full party support, or a Conservative majority. Take your pick.--

    Honestly any plan that is so impotent as to have the support of the Conservatives is unlikely to have the support of any of the other parties. So realistically who cares?

     

  • At Thu May 11, 10:27:00 p.m. EDT, Blogger Blake Kennedy said…

    "Sounds like we agree that Ambrose should resign. The Conservatives will not support Kyoto. So why? I repeat why? Is she going to be chairing a set of meetings for Countries that SUPPORT Kyoto? A meeting with the intent of setting up a plan for extending Kyoto beyond 2012. It makes no sense. What is the point? The only point of her attempting to stay on is that Conservatives know that the majority of Canadians support Kyoto. Her staying on is a dishonest attempt by Conservatives to keep Canadians in the dark regarding Kyoto."

    Good point, except I'd add that Kyoto has always been in the dark. Canadians have never had it costed, or had the supposed benefits to it delineated for them. Kyoto couldn't be more in the dark for most Canadians, who see the good intentions of it and believe it to be a sure-fire solution to ecological woes across the world. No worldwide agreement has been less diligently analyzed by our government. I agree with the balance of your post, though.

    "Honestly any plan that is so impotent as to have the support of the Conservatives is unlikely to have the support of any of the other parties. So realistically who cares?"

    Again, this presumes ill-will on the part of the Conservatives. Reading people like Andrew, it's not hard to see why you'd assume that, but I do remember that Harper was the only party leader to advance a clear plan to implement policies designed to increase the usage of bio-diesel fuels and reduce traditional diesel fuels. I think that the Conservatives should actually present a coherent, complete and cogent cost-benefit analysis of Kyoto (which has not been provided to date), and their own plan, and a similiar cost-benefit analysis.

     

  • At Fri May 12, 04:14:00 p.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Always remember - the same scientists and enviro-weenis that are screeming about global warming now were screaming about the coming of the next ice age only 30 years ago.

     

  • At Sat May 13, 09:48:00 a.m. EDT, Blogger Blake Kennedy said…

    jdave:

    Good post, dude. That'll warm the temperature a few degrees on here, anyhow.

     

  • At Mon May 15, 10:14:00 a.m. EDT, Blogger Joanne (True Blue) said…

    Good post. In MSM, the word "Kyoto" has now become synonymous with "environmental concern"; when in fact it is a flawed agreement only intended to make those on board look as if they're doing something. It is propaganda at its worst.

     

  • At Mon May 15, 11:57:00 a.m. EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Transfer of the fines should go those who are leading the way in cleaning up emissions and coming up with solutions IN CANADA. Do you think Corporations would sit up and take notice if there was that kind of coin going around?

     

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