Politic?

Fair Trade

The two North American neighbours who share not only a very long, relatively unprotected border through mutual trust that has been frayed of late, but with similar value and social criteria have lately faced the reality of strained relations, due mostly to trade and economic disagreements. This, between countries that have long enjoyed the mutual benefits that came with the signing of first a bilateral free trade agreement, then a trilateral agreement with the third country that shares North American geography, Mexico.

The battleground of environmentalism instead of drawing the two countries with their mutual interests closer together, created stark divisions. Where the United States has presented itself as a more vigorous champion of the environment, though it refused to sign on to any international environmental protection agreement, while Canada which did sign onto that agreement is struggling to portray itself as being equally interested in preserving the environment from human-designed harm due to carbon emissions.

Environmental groups in both countries have rallied their troops around the image of a giant tarfield whose presence and the extraction methods being used to withdraw oil for energy purposes they love to portray as the most damaging presence to the atmosphere and the environment on Planet Earth. When the truth is, exploitation of Alberta's oil sands project represents a minuscule portion of carbon emissions in comparison to the mining and use of coal for energy, a far more common and insidious method of power plant fuel.

"We know this is not just about melting glaciers. Climate change -- caused by carbon pollution -- is one of the most significant public health threats of our time. That's why EPA has been called to action", piously stated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's administrator's Gina McCarthy, introducing proposed new regulations meant to produce an advanced standard of clean-fired coal power plants.

Coal accounts for 40% of American electricity. The newly introduced standard legislates that new coal-fired power plants would require the installation of expensive technology to capture carbon dioxide and bury it underground. Because of the huge cost involved, no coal-fired plant in the United States has ever yet gone to such lengths to produce clean coal-fired energy.

This is a move to deliver to the United States strict limits on the pollution that bears the brunt of the blame for global warming. It would come closer to bringing to an end "the limitless dumping of carbon pollution", as President Barack Obama speaking to a powerful environmental voting bloc put it, from power plants. Existing power plants, accounting for a third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions would be forced to limit emissions.

The dispute between Canada and the United States where the American administration of President Barack Obama continues to dance around the decision whether or not to allow a pipeline to transport oil from Alberta to refineries in Texas has placed a strain on the usual good relations the two countries enjoy. The U.S. has long overlooked the monumental carbon emissions they have produced while expecting more from Canada than they are themselves prepared to submit to.

In the meanwhile, oil is flowing into the U.S. from Canada through other means, transported increasingly by rail, a far more dangerous mode of transport than the security of a pipeline, while the U.S. as a result takes advantage of Canada's eagerness to continue selling to the U.S., but at a reduced profit rate, which would rise in fair exchange with the use of pipeline transport.

Country	CDIAC^[9]	IEA Sectoral Approach^[10]	IEA Reference Approach^[10]
World	31,629,955	28,999,354	29,549,299
China	7,463,289	6,831,596	7,037,864
United States	5,273,760	5,195,018	5,290,006
European Union (27)	N/A	3,576,786	3,623,402
India	1,891,422	1,585,817	1,629,959
Russia	1,596,213	1,532,599	1,528,568
Japan	1,066,233	1,092,859	1,092,878
Germany	733,550	750,188	755,140
Iran	558,923	533,223	549,077
South Korea	515 749	515,465	518,149
Canada	507,260	520,746	501,293
United Kingdom	475,325	465,802	476,750
Mexico	467,036	399,673	422,542
Saudi Arabia	460,227	410,474	370,446
South Africa	445,800	369,366	461,478
Indonesia	441,836	376,262	390,304
Italy	402,027	389,282	390,274
Australia	401,826	394,881	399,001
Brazil	375,788	337,800	345,105
France	355,119	354,301	362,240