Archived Letter – 1400

It was not surprising to read the Auditors General report that Canada will not meet our greenhouse gas emission (GHG) targets. I concur that “there are potentially rough waters ahead”. In the next 18 months, there will be elections in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Canada.

People get the governments they vote for. Populism, retail politics, and the climate denial machine have obstructed real climate action. This madness must end. Lives and livelihoods are at stake.

Recent public opinion polls have shown Canadians know climate change is real, human-caused, and dangerous with precious little time left to reduce GHGs. Those polls also indicate widespread support for carbon pricing.

Excepting Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the world knows carbon pricing is the way forward. Done right, it’s the most economically efficient means for reducing emissions.

The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition includes many countries, provinces, states, businesses, oil companies and civil society, including Citizens’ Climate Lobby. The coalition’s goal is to have half of global emissions with some kind of carbon price by 2025. After China implemented its carbon market, we’re actually ahead of schedule to get to 25% by 2020.

If the world is embracing carbon pricing, why do some Canadian politicians want to end it?

The world is watching, Canada.

Gord Cumming