Re Provincial domain, letters 2023 October 17
A letter-writer seeks “to spell it out” (Mike Priaro, October 17). He ignores the fact that there is just one global atmosphere and that pollutants are not constrained by political boundaries. They affect ecosystems all over the planet, including human welfare, whether it be health or economic consequences of severe weather.
Canada does indeed emit just two per cent of global emissions, but it is not pulling its weight in a collective responsibility, where all the emissions add up. And per capita, Canada is a heavyweight. It ranks with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. It is at the top of the list of countries in cumulative emissions from 1820 to 2021.
Global heating is a “wicked” problem: a social and cultural issue that is inherently very difficult to solve. Wicked problems are the crises that we long to solve, but for which answers are intricate. The simple claim of your correspondent misses the existential issue that Canadians, indeed all citizens of the world are facing.
John Hollins, Ottawa
Author, Pathways to Reducing Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
John Hollins, Ph.D.
17 Parkwood Crescent
Gloucester ON K1B 3J5
613-824-8837 landline
613-806-8837 mobile
Letters to which I responded:
Provincial domain
Re “Danielle Smith’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s environment ruling is a long way from Ottawa’s” (Report on Business, Oct. 14): Allow me to spell it out: The federal government has no constitutional right to control, dictate, limit or regulate emissions from energy or infrastructure projects located entirely within a province’s borders.
Period. End of story.
Mike Priaro Calgary
Re “The Supreme Court underscores the need for a climate of co-operation on greenhouse gases” (Editorial, Oct. 16): Given that Canada contributes less than 2 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the effect of our country going to zero would be the same effect on volume as pulling one’s finger out of a bucket of water.
I do agree that we need to transition, however, and we should be following the plan of Norway, which is pumping as much oil and gas as it can to fund the country’s sovereign fund. Canadian oil and gas development would provide the world with needed energy and the tax revenue would fund the transition.
I believe the Liberals are failing Canadians.
Maurice Levert Courtenay, B.C.