Today, readers are responding to a report saying Canada is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world and that Northern Canada is warming even more quickly, nearly three times the global rate. Three of the past five years have been the warmest on record, according to the authors of the report. Readers are also debating whether Liberal MPs should expel Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from caucus, as the SNC-Lavalin controversy continues to dominate the Parliamentary agenda.
The midnight sun shines across sea ice along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, on July 22, 2017. Canada is warming up twice as fast as the rest of the world and that warming is "effectively irreversible" a new scientific report from Environment and Climate Change Canada says.David Goldman/The Associated Press
Some of the comments are of the usual ostrich variety, but one objection to the carbon tax is reasonably valid. This is the idea that if Canada reduces carbon consumption and the rest of the world does nothing, then our actions are futile. This is correct. The problem with the argument is that the rest of the world will come around, because it has to. Rapid global warming has no upper limit. At some point, the carbon economy ends. At that point does Canada want to be a laggard or a leader? China is turning on LNG and nuclear, so although they're a laggard now, that will change. The numbers aren't difficult to find if you care to research them. Within a decade China will be off coal, and oil a decade or two after that. The U.S. under Trump has increased carbon based production and consumption dramatically according to a recent report in the Economist. However, a majority of Americans now accept that global warming is manmade, especially after a year of unusually severe fires and floods. Europe appears to be making active moves to carbon reduction. Canada has to look at where the world is going, but the rest of the world is not going to produce carbon at the current rate.
The Liberals produced this to coincide with the new carbon tax. Not exactly subtle. Do the people in Ottawa really believe that Canadians are this naive?
Canada can contribute more to addressing climate change by supporting more clean tech innovation that can be exported to other countries (not to be confused with subsidizing overpriced Tesla’s for consumers). Imposing higher taxes on consumers and exporting businesses will only serve to curtail demand and therefore economic growth, which is needed to support innovation and funding for climate change adaptation (new or modified infrastructure).
I agree that the timing of the release of this study is questionable, perhaps even regrettable, but the science behind it is incontrovertible except to the trolls. You are entitled to your own opinions; you are not entitled to your own facts. Please stop referring to this phenomenon as merely "climate change". Henceforth, it must be recognized as either "climate breakdown", "climate chaos" or, in about a decade, "climate catastrophe". Wake up, everyone!
The dire nature of this report provokes thought. Some comments reflect optimism that advanced economies with more stable population stats will self-correct – a hopeful outlook. The wild card from my own take is that developing economies, particularly in the southern hemisphere, will play a crucial role to stabilize emissions. Many of them are slash and burn economies in the race to catch up to modern standards. Equatorial forests burn for agricultural purposes. In addition those same economies have many more mouths to feed. To me that's a serious wild card.
You make a good point. As these economies advance, their emissions will only rise, dramatically based on size of population. We could cut our emissions in half tomorrow and it will have precisely zero effect on global warming.
With climate change there will be winners and losers. Climate change will be disastrous for mammals, humans included. Climate change will be disastrous for most marine life and shellfish and pelagic fish in particular. For a short period of time jellyfish will benefit. And, of course, for a time disease spreading insects such as mosquitoes will benefit from climate change. The costs of ignoring runaway climate change are infinite. The recent summaries of climate change information may well constitute the final warning for the human race.
That this country, indeed the world, remains largely stuck in old ways after decades of warnings confirms the intransigent nature of ego. Rooted in unconscious conditioning, certain of its ways, unwilling to change. Meanwhile, in reality, we burn and freeze.
Readers are also debating whether Liberal MPs should expel Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from caucus, as the SNC-Lavalin controversy continues to dominate the Parliamentary agenda.
Cabinet ministers and MPs signalled their displeasure on Monday with Ms. Wilson-Raybould for recording a telephone conversation in late December with Michael Wernick, the country’s top bureaucrat.Chris Wattie/Reuters
What is most fascinating about Liberal MPs expressions of shock and distain toward Ms. Wilson-Raybould is the fact that it is all about the recording of the phone call, not about what Mr. Wernick was stating on that phone call - the insistence by the Prime Minister to get a DPA for SNC-Lavalin (political interference) and the veiled threats if Ms. Wilson-Raybould did not comply (threatening her position) and that the Prime Minister would get it done one way or another (obstruction of justice). Ms. Wilson-Raybould and Ms. Philpott should be proud of their ethical stand. They have much higher standards than the trained seals.
The Attorney General was being set upon persistently and relentlessly by the leader of the country and his official henchmen to interfere in a prosecution to benefit the accused. She took exceptional measures to combat this obvious impropriety. She is a virtuous public servant and an equally virtuous whistleblower responding to Nixonian-Watergate tactics. The Liberal caucus does not deserve her.
The tape reveals a collegial effort by Wernicke to help Jody Wilson-Raybould protect herself from an underinformed position, and Jody Wilson-Raybould's self--serving and calculated response. The allegation that the tape was made because no asistant was available to take note is laughable. Surely a colleague would tell another they were taping the call for that reason, as a matter of courtesy. But she didn't.
I fail to see how anything Wernick or his tone were a threat. Jody Wilson-Raybould was more forceful in her conversation than he was by far. And she was totally scripted with speaking points she wanted to get on tape during the call. Time for her to go.
The Liberals are a messed up confused party. Good for Jody Wilson-Raybould for catching the bunch in their lies. I hope the voters have a greater understanding of the law, the value of truth, and quality leadership aside from catch phrases and optics.
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