The government has already said Canada will not meet Kyoto's most important clauses, namely those which limit our so-called 'greenhouse gas emissions' (really speaking mostly about the benign gas carbon dioxide here). We CAN get out of the treaty with one year's notice any time now -
here is the clause in the Kyoto Protocol that specifies this:
Article 27
1. At any time after three years from the date on which this Protocol has entered into force for a Party, that Party may withdraw from this Protocol by giving written notification to the Depositary.
2. Any such withdrawal shall take effect upon expiry of one year from the date of receipt by the Depositary of the notification of withdrawal, or on such later date as may be specified in the notification of withdrawal.
So, since it came into force in Feb 2005, we could have, and should have, withdrawn in Feb 2008.
Now is the time to do this while the Liberals are in disarray and all the Opposition Parties either to broke or too afraid to go to the polls again. Harper broke his pre-election (the previous one) promise to examine Canada's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol from top to bottom. Now he has the time and the opportunity to do what he should have done nine months ago - end the farce of Canada's participation in a treaty we intend to break and start to negotiate agreements that actually do something good for the environment AND WE INTEND TO KEEP.
I don't know about you folks but this business of staying in a serious international agreement Canada intends to break, when we can easily withdraw, is not an image that I like to see Canada project internationally. Our word must be our bond, even if the original promise was made on our behalf by one man, namely Jean Chretien. Otherwise our word is worth nothing. When I read what people of my Grandfather's generation did to protect our society (see
Canada Free Press , and yes, Charles Savage was my grandfather and actually campaigned for Chretien when he first ran in Grand'mere), I am very unhappy that politicians apparently more concerned about political expediency and personal convenience than they are about the future of our country are breaking our society down. And, if you think even attempting to meet Kyoto wouldn't damage our society, read from today's
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