The U-Turn

For the first (and perhaps only) time, I am currently on the side of the Conservative government in Canada. The Economist’s article on the new Canadian plan for lowering emissions is a good summary of what is going on.

David Suzuki isn’t happy. Al Gore, who is in Toronto this week, is very disappointed. The liberal government is calling it a fraud.

And I’m thinking – liberal government, shuttup. For 13 years after signing the Kyoto Protocol you took no steps toward meeting our targets. The current government has inherited from you a difficult situation of an unreachable signed agreement, plus emissions which have been increasing steadly for 13 years.

Environmentalists…I know, I know. It isn’t good enough. It won’t meet the Kyoto protocol. It is putting the economy first. I am with you on being annoyed by these things. HOWEVER–it is actually putting the environment on the priority list, and that is new. It is a commitment to change, and that is new. It is a step in the right direction and you should be grateful that the population actually cares a bit now.

This government’s support comes out of oil-based Alberta, Canada’s little Texas. I can’t believe anyone was expecting anything more than what they got with this deal. A minority government cannot risk cutting out it’s only support base by alienating them on an issue its opposition is pushing for. This is a brilliant compromise.