Canadian Climate Scientists - Harper Proposal "A Terrible Mistake"

[hatrack]

VANCOUVER - The federal government's plan to cut greenhouse gases falls far short of what is needed, say leading climate scientists, who predict Canada's emissions are going to continue to climb "like a rocket."

"It's not nearly sufficient to do what we need to do in order to make a difference on this issue, or to make an appropriate Canadian contribution to solving this problem," says Richard Peltier, a senior atmospheric physicist at the University of Toronto and co-author of a recent United Nations report spelling out how humanity's carbon emissions are altering the global climate system.

He said the Harper government has made a "terrible mistake for the country" by opting to go with intensity targets instead of a carbon tax. "Our emissions will go up like a rocket because (the plan) is based on intensity-based targets," Peltier said in an interview after a news briefing in Vancouver Tuesday. "We need actual emissions reductions that gradually tighten the screws on emissions, and we need to put a value on a tonne of carbon." Intensity-based targets require companies to reduce the emissions per unit of production, but could see total emissions climb along with production.

Peltier and his colleagues called the media conference to highlight research probing the dramatic changes underway in the polar regions as temperatures climb. But several of the scientists used the occasion to express deep disappointment over the government plan unveiled last week by Environment Minister John Baird. They say it does not reflect either the leadership or the creativity needed to deal with climate change that has begun to alter the global landscape and threatens to leave hundreds of millions homeless, hungry and thirsty as sea levels rise, freshwater supplies dry up and droughts worsen.

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http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=f60ea661-8c47-4945-bc8d-9dcfe62bd3af&k=16038

[GliderGuider]

1. Good for them, for speaking truth to power.

It's time more of us stood up and told John "Dark Lord" Baird and "Steve" Harper what we think of their pusillanimous behaviour!

[razzleberry]

2. three parties against one

just pass some effin law

lazy bums