story697

I am following the political issues surrounding the ratification of the Kyoto's accord by Canada. Even though I am not a scientist with scientific experience in global warming and pollution. But, I remember the concerns about the effects of acid rain on the Great Lakes and I remember when some fifteen years ago my own son James did an experiment on how acid water would affect the growth of plants.

I have been casually reading the articles written by Walter Robinson, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, on the Kyoto's issues and I don't know how much credit I must give him.

The provinces are opposed to the ratification of the Kyoto's accord, and Walter Robinson is opposed to the Kyoto's accord for two reasons, firstly because the ratification of the accord would cause a drop in the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and in this respect he refers to the study by noted academic Dr. Ross McKitrick who predicts a 5.5% drop in "real" household incomes (about $2,700 for the average family); and secondly because the federal plan to achieve Canada's greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets amounts to nothing else but to more corporate welfare. We must dismiss the second argument as it takes us away from the international issue of greenhouse gas emission and global warming.

I am skeptical of Dr. Ross McKitrick's study indicating a critical drop in GDP as a consequence of Kyoto's ratification. Again, I have the suspicion that Dr. McKitrick suffers from the same mental illness I have been mentioning in my writing, that is the 'linear thinking' mentality of our Big Brains.

I remember ecologist Dana Meadows complaining that our politicians and businesses cannot understand the effects of global warming and pollution as these people cannot understand the difference between linear growth and exponential growth. I must disagree in this respect with Dana Meadows, as our politicians and businesses know very well the exponential growth of money within their cherished trickle down economic system. Anyhow, if we value life more than profits this is what scientists John Sterman and Booth Sweeney state about Kyoto

"Even if Kyoto were fully implemented, emissions would continue to exceed removal and GHG concentrations would continue to rise... The situation is of course worse. The G.W. Bush administration formally repudiated the Kyoto treaty in 2001."

Today, 97 countries have ratified the Kyoto accord and these countries account for 37.1% of carbon dioxide emissions. In order for the Kyoto's accord to take effect, the countries ratifying it must account for at least 55% of carbon dioxide emissions. If Russia ratifies the accord the 55% emission goal would be reached and Kyoto would take effect.

I hope that Canada joins the international community rather than Bush's corporate welfare.

References

Robinson, Walter.Latest Kyoto plan equals more corporate welfare Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, November 24, 2002

Robinson, Walter. Kyoto Ugly: Protocol to cost $2,700 per Canadian family, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, November 16, 2002

Saraph, Anupam, Ph.D. The Dana Meadows Memorial. Compound her, she's made us learn the limits! http://www.simpleliving.net/DanaMeadowsSFMemorial/tribute02.asp

Sterman, John D. and Booth Sweeney, Linda Cloudy skies: assessing public understanding of global warming, System Dynamics Review, Volume 18, number 2, Summer 2002, Wiley Publishers

Schaeffer, Eric, Clearing the Air: Why I Quit Bush's EPA, Washington Monthly August 1, 2002 http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13735

The Convention and Kyoto Protocol, http://unfccc.int/resource/convkp.html