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A version of the following letter was sent to the Toronto Star.

October 19, 2006

Dear Editor,

Re: Emissions finish line 50 years away (Oct 19 on-line edition)

The Clean Air Act introduced by the Conservatives represents an abysmal failure to tackle our ecological crisis and a giant step backward from Canada’s commitments under the Kyoto Accord. The fact that Environment Minister Rona Ambrose could need even muster up the courage to mention the word “Kyoto” in a plan that’s supposed to address climate change indicates a virtual abandonment of one of the most important international agreements in history.

The “Made in Canada” plan is full of deception and trickery. For example, instead of 1990 as the baseline year for reducing greenhouse gases, 2003 emission levels are now to be the new reference point. How convenient since Canada’s emissions had already risen by 24% in those 13 years!

The use of “intensity” based targets represents another sleight of hand. These levels, which attempt to increase the efficiency of energy used per unit of production, have already been moving positively at an annual rate of 1.3% over the past several decades. They’ll do nothing to reduce the overall amount of greenhouse gases that Canada’s worst polluters emit.

The Conservative Clean Air Act is a simple recipe for delayed action. Prime Minister Harper’s essential message is: “Let’s leave it to the next generation of Canadians to get us out of this mess.” Some political vision.

Dale Hildebrand
Toronto, Ontario