Green Party unveils 20-point climate change planhttps://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2019/05/16/green-party-unveils-20-point-climate-change-plan.htmlOTTAWA—As MPs debated competing “climate emergency” declarations in the House of Commons Thursday, the Green Party released an urgent — and as yet uncosted — blueprint to transform the Canadian economy, abandon partisan political divisions in a manner not seen since the Second World War, and overcome a looming catastrophe that is “as dire as the loss of civilization.”
The Green climate plan — dubbed “Mission: Possible” — would double Canada’s emissions reduction target to 60 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. It would halt all new fossil fuel development in the country, pursue a nationwide shift toward non-nuclear renewable energy, and create “millions” of jobs by retrofitting all buildings in Canada so that they’re carbon neutral over the next 11 years.
It also calls for the creation of a new “survival cabinet” composed of members from all parties to direct the climate action plan from the heart of government, a proposal modelled on the wartime cabinets of William Lyon Mackenzie King and Winston Churchill.
“We’re saying to all Canadians: this is something we have to do together,” Green Leader Elizabeth May told reporters on Parliament Hill Thursday morning.
“We cannot continue to pretend that we are in a status-quo world where significant changes aren’t coming. Canadians have more in common than we have in difference. We have to pull together,” she said. “This is all hands on deck.”THIS is the kind of politics we need in 2019.
The Lib-Con gutter politics of dividing Canadians and pandering to the basest motives of voters is a game of idiots squabbling over who's playing the fiddle while the world burns.
Neither Scheer nor Trudeau can ever match Elizabeth May for intelligence, decency, respect, intentions, fairness, focus, vision ... etc ... all the qualities we need in leadership.
Add:
Re the Greens' focus on retrofitting buildings ...
I recently read a summary of sources of greenhouse gases (GHG's) in Canada, and "buildings" are at the top of the list, not homes so much but industrial/commercial buildings. I'll post link if I find it again.
Canada has very high levels of GHG's and is currently increasing GHG's at a disturbing rate:
-Canada ranks 15th out of 17 countries for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita and earns a “D” grade.
-Canada’s per capita GHG emissions decreased by nearly 5 per cent between 1990 and 2010, while total GHG emissions in Canada grew 17 per cent.
-The largest contributor to Canada’s GHG emissions is the energy sector, which includes power generation (heat and electricity), transportation, and fugitive sources.IE, Heating/cooling and all the energy required for industrial/commercial processes (including oil and gas operations, manufacturing, distribution, etc)
The Green's plan to immediately target subsidies to retrofitting of these large GHG sources is not only efficient in addressing climate change, but
verypolitically astute.
Hats off!