Recalcitrant Canada

In the run-up to Copenhagen, Canada is being universally named the bad-boy country among developed nations. That hurts, it really does. Greenpeace has gone out of its way to embarrass Canada's government for its lack of enthusiasm on accepting the general consensus that developed countries must overlook developing countries' portion in a general pull-together to combat the world's growing emissions of CO2, to combat climate change.

Some nineteen Greenpeacers somehow managed to evade security and clamber onto the green-hued copper roofs of the venerable Gothic-inspired Parliament buildings on the Hill. The RCMP have assumed a peculiar facial hue of humble regret; due diligence dropped. The environmental activists managed to drape banners insisting on governmental action in the war against climate change get underway. Volubly and visually informing that current government position is unacceptable.

Greenpeace protesters climbed the roof of Parliament's West Block on Monday morning. (CBC)

Looking at a chart illustrating the world's past and current emissions, one sees that Canada is held responsible for a relatively minuscule amount of carbon dioxide emissions. And, one supposes, we should take relief in the very positive fact that Canada's vast boreal forests represent the world's largest carbon sink. Larger by far than those of other parts of the world, where in Africa and South America, forests have been succumbing to the need for enlarged agricultural needs.

The key options to be discussed at the Copenhagen conference on the environment where 190 countries have sent their delegates to forge a new agreement in climate change, are 'carbon capture and storage', 'cap and trade', and 'carbon tax'. Oh, right, another huge one is 'transfer of wealth'. Plainly speaking through all of the former three, there are trade-offs permitting ongoing pollution, but at a cost. A cost meant to eventually severely limit pollution.

And the last represents the transfer of treasury funds from developed nations to those of the economically-emerging countries of the world, those who insist they have not yet had the opportunity to pollute the environment because of their have-not status, and therefore should not be expected to have any part in ameliorating the problem through putting a cap on their emissions. It is China and India primarily, who will increasingly represent the countries with the most increased emissions well into the future.

The Government of Canada insists, as had the Government of the United States, that all countries of the world must be included in a general plan to take part in mitigation efforts. Under President Obama, although his plans still remain a trifle oblique, the U.S. may be prepared to forgive developing nations, leaving Canada the sole reluctant signer-on. The one country that others have happily adopted as the drag on potential opportunities to reach a consensus for remedial agreement.

Peer pressure and stress throughout the course of the conference will tell whether Canada's official position will stray from its current intransigence on the issue. It will mean, ultimately, the sacrifice of Alberta's ambitions (and those of Canada) to present as the world's premier reliable source of (unacceptably dirty) oil production in an energy-hungry world.