National Post columnist Don Martin writes today that, “Environment Minister Jim Prentice wants the world to know he’ll be no boy scout when crucial climate change talks convene in Copenhagen a month from today.”
“With no Canadian plan to present to the world and no United States partner to follow, the Conservatives are bracing voters for a Copenhagen train wreck where Canada and its oilsands will be portrayed as a gas-belching pariah.”
“Sources say his proposed policies on curbing greenhouse gases have circulated for weeks through the federal cabinet with little sense of urgency or forward progress.”
“So vacuous has the federal climate change policy become that the government-friendly TD Financial finally commissioned its own analysis of how the emission reduction targets would roll out across regional economies.”
“This much is certain as the 31-day countdown to Copenhagen begins. Canada will not sign any deal that doesn’t force India, China and Brazil to meet negotiated targets for their own greenhouse gas reductions — a demand that may well be rejected by those countries.”
“Mr. Prentice will also be taking a jaundiced look at a European proposal to create a $100 billion annual fund to assist developing countries with environmental initiatives. Canada’s share would be about $3 billion a year – a notion that doesn’t hold much appeal to Mr. Prentice.”
“In the end, it’s almost a guarantee that no matter what happens, Canada will be vilified on the world stage as an energy superpower that abandoned the Kyoto Accord and isn’t shouldering its share of carbon reductions.”
As noted on our website, “The Council of Canadians will be on the ground in Copenhagen, providing updates on negotiations inside the conference and taking part in numerous events and climate justice movement activities happening outside.”
For more on our climate justice work, please go to http://canadians.org/climatejustice.
Don Martin’s column is at http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/05/don-martin-prentice-invites-climate-critics-to-bring-it-on.aspx.
