St. Norbert’s Church south east of Provost is rarely illuminated outside during the evening but this photograph catches the imposing edifice during an October night, revealing shadows and different hues than are usually seen only during daytime. The building draws tourists who add to the local economy. In addition to tourism that may also lure hunters and other sportsmen, contributors to the town and area’s economy include—despite a recent drought—cattle, grains, oil and gas and other industry. Small Business Week is being celebrated across the province October 20 to 26. ©Provost News Photo.
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Alberta’s Response to Kyoto “Realistic” Says MLA
. . . Klein Has It Right, Says Scientist
The Alberta government’s recently announced plans to fight pollution is a realistic one, says MLA Doug Griffiths.
Griffiths spoke to The News in an interview on Friday at Provost Public School after a talk to Grade 6 for Social Studies.
Griffiths said that Alberta targets considers economic growth and pollution while the federal Kyoto protocol “only talks about carbon dioxide.”
The made-in-Alberta climate change plan was announced on Thursday, October 17.
The plan, titled Albertans and Climate Change: Taking Action, calls for Alberta to cut greenhouse gas emissions intensity (emissions divided by gross domestic product) by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2020. This equates to about a 60 million tonne reduction.
Griffiths said that he is in favour of cleaning up the environment, but not of using Kyoto to do it. He claimed that Kyoto would actually cause more harm than good because developing countries would be producing more pollutants under the plan.
That’s a sentiment echoed by scientist Dr. Tim Ball who was reached by The News on Sunday night, October 20 at his Victoria, B.C. home.
Ball says the government has it all wrong. The federal government is being—and has been “fed wrong information by their own bureaucrats, in particular Environment Canada.” He says that there are so many issues that are being ignored (such as the effects of the sun and the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere).
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Ball says the situation is like a car not running well and instead of looking at the transmission and the engine we’ll look only at the right nut on the back wheel.
But he praised Alberta Premier Ralph Klein for his stand on Kyoto and also that of the U.S. president for not embarking on the Kyoto accord. “Klein has a lot of common sense” in what he is taking about.
Other highlights of the Alberta plan include:
• An interim reduction target of 22 per cent, or 20 million tonnes, below "business as usual" by 2010. Business-as-usual is defined as the emissions that would have been released had the province not embarked on its plan. According to the provincial plan, measures that will be phased in over the next 18 years will see emissions decreased by 20 megatonnes by 2010, and by 60 megatonnes by 2020, when compared to business-as-usual.
• Negotiating firm emission reduction agreements with industry sectors, to be backed up by strong regulations.
• A strong focus on energy conservation and consumer education. Supporting development of new technology and increased use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro power.
The plan also provides a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while training the economy to operate in a way that contributes to Alberta's environment and future prosperity.
The Alberta government will begin implementing the plan this fall. Funding details are expected to be finalized by the end of November. A key element of the plan is leveraged funding, in which the Alberta government will provide one dollar for every two dollars contributed by partners such as the federal government or the private sector.
Meanwhile Alberta’s New Deomcratic leader Raj Pannu says that the Alberta plan for climate change reduction will increase emissions and harm efforts to battle global warming. Pannu said the government's reliance on an 'emissions intensity' based system translates into more emissions for the next 50 years. By the government's own estimate, he says, emission levels would not see a net reduction until 2050.
“If the current level of emissions is causing global warming, how do you fight global warming by increasing emissions,” asked Pannu. “This is essentially the same plan released in April, a plan could increase emissions by as much as 83 percent by 2020.”
Pannu was also critical of the government's sole reliance on yet to be developed technology for “two thirds” of its planned 'reductions.'
“To rely to such a great extent on technology that does not even exist yet puts the credibility of the government plan in question,” said Pannu.
The ND leader congratulated the government for putting emphasis on educating Albertans about what they can do to increase conservation and reduce global warming, but said that without targeted incentives and policies the government's education campaign was likely wasted money.
Ball however says that “It’s so ludicrous to shackle yourselves if the U.S. does not participate” in the Kyoto protocol. India and China and others won’t sign the protocol he points out and adds that the human contribution of carbon dioxide “is less than miniscule.”
“If the entire Kyoto accord was implemented around the globe the world would not notice the effect of the accord. It’s just absolutely unbelievable.” The federal numbers he says, on Kyoto are ridiculous.
Environment Minister Lorne Taylor said in unveiling Alberta’s plan that the province plans to spend big money on research to help Alberta’s bright minds determine how coal-fired power plants and oilsands development can operate with much less damage to the environment.
The federal government postponed one announcement about details of its Kyoto plans but scheduled a meeting for Monday, October 21 (with details too late at press time).
Griffiths said on October 18 that he sees a constitutional fight brewing between Ottawa and Alberta over the whole issue—pointing out that Alberta would have to first give its consent before Kyoto (in Ottawa’s form) is put into practice. Alberta will try “all legal options” in its fight against Kyoto. Griffiths called the Kyoto accord a mistake and a transfer of wealth to other countries.
Ball also showed displeasure for some oil companies that are trying to work a “middle road” on the issue. They are afraid of government and also afraid of being smeared as the bad guys by environmental groups like Greenpeace he said.
The whole Kyoto accord was set up through European nations (headed, he says by two men, named Houghton and Bert Brolin). These men were appointed to set up a deal to force a carbon tax on the world because of a fear of cheap energy in North America so the Europeans are trying to level the playing field from an economic point of view. Many European countries use nuclear power so won’t face same massive costs that Canada would, he says.
Griffiths was asked if people had talked to him about Alberta’s separation from the rest of Canada over the issue. He has had 12 to 15 people over the last week suggesting separation as a last resort over Ottawa. He says that for every person who contacts him with a concern that “there are about 50 others thinking similar thoughts.”
Ball says that he would like to see the country stay together but adds the “sentiments of separation are getting very strong.”
Meanwhile a trip to Ottawa to be made up of 10 scientists from across Canada including Ball is being planned on November 13 to talk about the science of Kyoto.
Scientist Tom Harris of Ottawa is spearheading the trip and a couple of Americans are going as well to talk about the Kyoto accord.
The problem, Ball says is that it looks like Ottawa has painted itself into a corner and he can’t see how they can get out of it.
In Ottawa the media will be the audience, “There’s no sense talking to the politicians.”
Ball summed up: “Think of the money that could be spent on education and health care instead. It’s so wrong.”
Print version and picture in October 16 edition of The Provost News
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