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There is some very fuzzy, unrealistic thinking regarding what Canada should do about climate change and the need to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
One argument goes like this:
Canada produces less than two per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases, so reducing our emissions would have little impact on the whole situation. Did you know that there are only 12 countries in the world that emit more GHGs than Canada (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, India, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.A.)? Canada emits more GHGs per person than all of these other heavy polluters.
Although there are only 12 countries who emit more GHGs than Canada, there are about 224 countries that emit less than we do. The logic that Canada should get a ‘free pass’ since our GHGs will have ‘little impact’ falls apart because it would then follow that the 224 countries with emissions lower than ours should also get ‘free passes’ for that same reason. If Canada were to act by such a selfish logic, it could doom worldwide co-operation to reduce GHGs and lead to catastrophic climate change.
If a country as wealthy and resourceful as Canada cannot show leadership and selfishly tries to weasel out of its climate change commitments, then there really is no hope.
Please do not buy the ‘snake oil’ that Canada’s GHG emissions do not matter.
David Howell
Orillia
