YOUR COMMENTS

The Great Debate and Who Benefits
Lannie Reynolds

If we are to believe all of the rhetoric about global warming that is being bantered about, then we had better prepare ourselves for an epic disaster of historic proportions that will make Katrina and New Orleans look like your tub overflowing in the bathroom. I’m talkin its time to buy some vacant desert land in Arizona and Nevada cuzz’ California’s gone and that property is now waterfront. Canada is no longer the second largest country by land mass because Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, PEI, New Brunswick and BC are under water and our great white north is now a tropical haven for tourist. Okay, so I may be getting a head of myself by a couple of a hundred thousand years, but you get the drift.

Global Warming Exists, I believe this to be a true statement; I also believe global warming is cyclical and that man/woman kind are definitely speeding it up, somewhat.

Most of us agree GLOBAL warming exists, but that is not what I want to talk about. I wish to speak of Canadian Warming. I was looking out my window in late February and watching the wind blow around at about -40c or so, and the beginnings of this article came to me.

When and most importantly WHY, did global warming become such an important issue to Canadians? I don’t get it, honest I have tried I just do not get it. Polls have come out putting this issue above health care, education and the economy and I ask myself WHY, and so should you. Canada is responsible for less then 2.1% of all greenhouse gas emissions, yeah that’s right…not really a big number is it. Here’s another thing, approximately 40% of this is from natural causes such as cow flatulation, so this number drops down under 1.50% of the total global man made green house gas emissions… again not much.

As shown in Al’s documentary, the red line of gas emissions takes a jump up way above the average level compared to the past 600,000 years, and he says that if changes do not take place then boy are we in trouble. Over the past several years a lot of change has taken place and it is my understanding that even with these changes made, the level continues to increase. But, they will eventually decrease after X amount of years… so his numbers are somewhat off. My favorite part of his documentary was Al looking out his plane window at the farm land below. FYI... a return plane trip from Toronto to Vancouver emits 0.9 tons of carbon dioxide per passenger and plane emissions are three times more potent than normal so its actually about 2.7 tons per person. Al would have to plant 7 trees and let them grow 40 to 50 years to make his trip carbon neutral. What, his assistant could not get him a train ticket?

The Kyoto Accord; We (Canada) signed this accord, trumpets were blown, balloons were let go (sorry about that whales) and champagne was opened (I bet it was French and expensive). It was then shelved and forgotten about...well, that is, until the election. Through this accord our country has committed to reduce our emissions by 6% of the 1990 level. Basically if we were to meet our commitment, which would be impossible without devastating our economy, we would be reducing the Global Green House Gas Emissions by approximately 1% of 1% at the low low cost of - wait for it… $10,000,000,000.00. Honest I did not put any extra 0s in that number. Also, don’t forget about the $48,000,000.00 annual budget of the new federal government department which was to be responsible for purchasing emission credits from countries such as Russia, China and India which would have no significant impact on global emissions at all.

All right, so WHO Benefits? And I am not talking about the $10,000,000,000.00 that we would be moving to those countries with emerging economies, I am talking about who in Canada benefits from us all talking about Global Warming above education, health and the economy. And why is our media pushing this at us so much when Canada is only responsible for under 2.5% of all global green house gas emissions?

I ask you again WHO Benefits? It’s not the tax payer, nor our children, nor our seniors...So WHO?

Do you think the topic of global warming is more important than health care, education and the economy? I sure don’t; so, don’t you think we should be talking about health care, education and the economy; instead of you know, cow farts?

Note: Since writing this article a new Angus Reid poll released found 64% of Canadians believe we should live up to our Kyoto commitment, but when asked if they’d be willing to pay an additional 25¢ per litre tax on gas to help reach this goal 71% opposed this policy. Also asked if they would be willing to avoid driving one day per week a full 66% of Canadians oppose that. Common Sense prevails and its nice to know we are all not blindly lead around by our left leaning media.

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