Thursday, February 08, 2007
PM Harper:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/02/02/harper-climate.html
In the first line above, PM HArper is encouraging his supporters by saying that 'finding ways to burn fossil fuels cleaner will allow continued use of fossil fuels as our main energy source'.
If emissions continue to rise, there could be a backlash against using fossil fuels, so this measure will actually help the oil and coal interests in the long run.
In the 2nd line in the quotes above, he is using fear tactic to stop the line of thinking that we can avoid the worst of climate change by taking action on our emissions of greenhouse gases. The threat of 'not heating our homes in winter' is low compared to 'not driving your Hummer' or 'not using coal to produce electricity' when we look at how to avoid climate change. When we see PM Harper using the "freezing in the dark" fear tactic, we can take great comfort in knowing that he is fighting back against emission reductions with every tactic he can find, including fear of losing our energy sources.
Lets just hope nobody hears about using solar panels on roof tops which will provide power during blackouts or when the central grid fails us due to fighting climate change. That just might create the conditions for changes to a de-centralised power supply, which would only hurt Harper's supporters. [i am glad I am not one of them]
Karlin
PS hint - some sarcasm in this post
PM Harper:
"I think realistically the only way you can get absolute reductions is through the application of new technology over time."
"I don't think realistically we can tell Canadians, 'Stop driving your car, stop going to work, stop heating your house in the winter.'"
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/02/02/harper-climate.html
In the first line above, PM HArper is encouraging his supporters by saying that 'finding ways to burn fossil fuels cleaner will allow continued use of fossil fuels as our main energy source'.
If emissions continue to rise, there could be a backlash against using fossil fuels, so this measure will actually help the oil and coal interests in the long run.
In the 2nd line in the quotes above, he is using fear tactic to stop the line of thinking that we can avoid the worst of climate change by taking action on our emissions of greenhouse gases. The threat of 'not heating our homes in winter' is low compared to 'not driving your Hummer' or 'not using coal to produce electricity' when we look at how to avoid climate change. When we see PM Harper using the "freezing in the dark" fear tactic, we can take great comfort in knowing that he is fighting back against emission reductions with every tactic he can find, including fear of losing our energy sources.
Lets just hope nobody hears about using solar panels on roof tops which will provide power during blackouts or when the central grid fails us due to fighting climate change. That just might create the conditions for changes to a de-centralised power supply, which would only hurt Harper's supporters. [i am glad I am not one of them]
Karlin
PS hint - some sarcasm in this post