Copenhagen will be a colossal failure
Last Updated: 10th December 2009, 2:47am
- Email Story
- Size A A A
- Report Typo
The way to understand what's really happening in Copenhagen is to recall Prime Minister Stephen Harper's description of the Kyoto accord when he was leader of the Canadian Alliance in 2002.
Back then, when he spoke more honestly about such matters, Harper called Kyoto "a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations" that "will not even reduce greenhouse gases."
All you need to know from that accurate description is Copenhagen is Kyoto on steroids.
How much money will this new deal suck out of wealth-producing nations such as Canada and transfer to poorer ones, ostensibly to help them cope with man-made climate change and reduce emissions?
The price tag will start at $10 billion a year, for each of the next three years, until Kyoto expires in 2012. Then it will jump to $100 billion annually, eventually up to $300 billion or more.
People trying to recover from a global recession, are being told by our political elites we owe this money to the developing world because, until now, we have been mainly responsible for burning fossil fuels that caused man-made global warming.
You can believe that or not, but either way, it leads to the next logical question.
That is: "If we spend all this money, will it work?"
The answer is, unequivocally, "no."
We already know this because Copenhagen is indeed Kyoto on steroids.
All it will do is create bigger versions of the failed initiatives Kyoto created -- for example, the European cap-and-trade market in carbon dioxide emissions.
Born out of Kyoto five years ago, the so-called Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has done nothing to cool the planet. It's only "achievement" has been to drive up energy costs and make ordinary people poorer, while showering giant energy companies with undeserved profits.
What will happen under Copenhagen is the ETS will become a global market, in which Canada will have to participate, with similar results.
Kyoto also created mechanisms to generate "carbon credits" -- the basic stock unit of a cap-and-trade market, giving the bearer the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, for a negotiated price, because, theoretically, someone else lowered their emissions by a tonne.
We already know carbon credits are rife with profiteering, fraud and corruption. All Copenhagen will do is create more of them.
In transferring hundreds of billions of dollars of our wealth every year to the developing world -- including to many of the world's most tyrannical, corrupt governments -- we will be relying on their word they are using our money to cope with climate change and lower emissions. Only an idiot would believe that.
The only place Copenhagen isn't Kyoto on steroids is on emission cuts, as indicated by the positions of China and the U.S., the world's two largest emitters, responsible for 40% of all GHG emissions.
U.S. President Barack Obama is offering far less than the cuts the U.S. rejected in refusing to ratify Kyoto 12 years ago.
China is proposing token reductions to its emissions -- it was exempted from any cuts under Kyoto -- dressed up through political doubletalk to sound much more impressive than they are.
The worst thing for Canada is we're about to be conscripted into paying for this global farce.
Harper knows what's going on. He needs to speak up -- for us.
lorrie.goldstein@sunmedia.ca
"Harper knows what's going on. He needs to speak up -- for us." Great article but considering it was written by a journalist from Sunmedia it lacks credibility right there. Uh where are the facts? This is just opinion and total shit opinion in my opinion - another right wing harper lover trying to keep their job. PS if you think harper is going to speak up or do anything for the common person you are sadly mistaken.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Thank you for your post, Mr. Anonymous. Your delicate candor in this matter immediatley tells me that you are no journalistic expert yourself.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, judging by the choice of words you have used here, I'd say you'd hardly qualify to be the second preveiw editor for MAD magazine.
Futhermore, if you had bothered to read the other detailed postings here, you would have seen plenty of facts. But that is alright. I understand that detailed reading beyond the Grade six level is not your forte. It must suck to be the failed product of a failed Liberal public education system.
In closing, your opinion, plus a dollar and fifty seven cents would get me a large double double at Timmies.
You have a nice day and may Santa leave you that long hoped for job as a janitor you've been wanting. :-)
Dash8AVNtech - Firstly, my post was not directed at you but at the writer of said article. Secondly, I enjoy mad magazine. My B.C. liberal education obviously is no where near yours and for that I apologize. Actually now that I have read the "other detailed postings" that you spoke of and re-read the article, my opinion has changed drastically. I no longer believe in the myth of global warming. Nor do I listen to Cat Stevens or John Lennon anymore. As far as Santa goes, I hope he brings me that Hummer H3 that I've always wanted.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Mr. Anonymous
LMAO!!!!That's funny...seriously! :-)
ReplyDelete