Harper fiddling while the world burns

We thought it was bad enough that Prime Minister Harper planned only to achieve 2% emission reductions by 2020 below 1990 levels while the rest of the Kyoto signatories among developed countries were negotiating in the 25-40% range.  It was worse that a number of environmental organizations, economists, and even the government’s own Environmental Commissioner doubted that Prime Minister Harper’s plans could even achieve his own woefully inadequate goal.  Now Environment Minister Jim Prentice suggests we’re going to scrap any action for a few years.  We’re waiting for Obama, it seems.  Until our neighbours say “Jump!”, it’s apparently too difficult to implement the “Made in Canada” solution that our Prime Minister insisted on.

Climate scientists are panicking.  There is no other word for it.  If the world waits as long as Mr. Prentice suggests, we will be virtually guaranteeing catastrophic, uncontrolled climate impacts with unknown ultimate consequences.  If we want to have a reasonable chance of preventing the worst effects of climate change, global emissions must begin to decline within a few short years.  Emissions in developed countries must come down much sooner.  Now is already late.  The time to dither has long passed.