Kyoto no more, it's time to move forward

Feb. 16 is the day that the Kyoto Accord comes into effect and word has leaked out from the Federal Government that we won't meet our commitments by 2012, that our targets will be lower than required for industries, etc. etc. Different media outlets are reacting as they're expected, with the National Post and the Calgary Sun relieved and plain happy about the collapse of Kyoto; the Toronot Star, courtesy of Richard Gwyn, is stating the obvious: that we were never serious about Kyoto from the beginning.

While I supported the ratification of Kyoto and believed it to be an important first step in international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, I also am now of the belief that Kyoto is a lame duck. Our government was never serious in the first place. Chretien wanted it as a legacy without actually putting in strategies or frameworks to make it happen. Some have said that it was a last 'screw you' to Paul Martin. Perhaps. Regardless, I'm quite confident that as stated in the Gwyn article, that Canada, Japan and probably Russia will pull out in 2012, when Kyoto is up for renewal (though Russia stands to gain from the treaty, so I don't know why they would pull out).

Government policies on combating climate change will limp its way into 2012, causing little effect on our emissions. So what happens in 2012? Europe and the other countries who actually pulled their weight and implemented policies will not only be years ahead of us in using environmentally friendly technologies (can somebody say, economic advantage?), they will certainly be scrutinizing our response to our current weak efforts.

However, our failure at Kyoto does not mean we have to give up on dealing with climate change. We can look at 2012 with either an opportunitistic outlook or with a sense of dread. If we're serious about reducing emissions (which I think we should be), then the Martin government should declare up front that we've failed in our current endeavours. However, he should turn this defeat into a future victory. He can seriously use these next seven years (whether his government will last this long is another post, but I mean him and subsequent governments) to set up the frameworks and the strategies (working in conjunction with industries to promote, say, industrial ecology, or municipalities with energy conservation) to coordinate a massive effort to be launched in 2012.

This will be the so-called 'Made in Canada' solution that the right have been blabbing on about without doing a damned thing. There are enough companies out there (Dow Chemicals, DuPont in Kingston, Interface Carpets, etc.) as evidence that being environmentally friendly have definite economic benefits. All the rest of them need are structures and incentives. As for energy conservation, it's a no-brainer. Reduced reliance on foreign oil, increased savings for citizens, reduced costs on infrastructure, reduced emissions. All it takes is a massive public effort. If we can get Toronto to separate its garbage, it can't be that tough to get us to use less energy.

All our talk about the world needing more Canada, well, here's our chance. Time for us to make the 21st century Canadian economy a green economy; something we can export abroad, something to show that Canadians can make a difference on the world scene. We have so many rich environments and ecosystems, how can we teach developing nations to leapfrog past our mistakes if we can't keep our own house clean? And yes, instead of forcing developing nations to live the mistakes of our industrial revolution in order to develop to our standards, let's help them leapfrog them. Otherwise, we're merely generating the problem over again.

It's time for the government to let the leashes off Environment Canada. Let them talk to the private sector. They boast so much about being able to run things so much more efficiently (only in certain cases), let's make them prove it.

The fight between business and environmentalists is over. We've kicked at each other's shins for long enough. It's time for us to grow up and be mature individuals. It's time for us to own up to our collective responsibility and work together to come up with solutions.

No one else will do it for us. Now get to work.