Harper Named World's 'Worst Climate Villain'

[Devils'Advocate]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10...n_6024844.html

Canada does well at many things.
Earlier this year, Canadian cities were listed among the world's top places to live. The country ranks high with the best when it comes to wealth and it's been praised for emerging from the financial crisis in decent shape.
But there's one category in which Canada ranks dead last among industrialized nations: its efforts to combat climate change.
"The Climate Change Performance Index," published annually by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe, lists Canada among the world's worst at no. 58.

The report assigned scores to different countries based on factors such as emission levels, efficiency, renewable energy and climate policy.

[calgarygeologist]

It is interesting to see the Netherlands and New Zealand so low on that list. The Netherlands actually moved up 18 places in this years ranking.

This ranking actually put China, India and South Africa ahead of Canada. In terms of CO2 emission levels apparently Canada is ranked worse than India and China but the report lists Canada's share of global CO2 emissions at 1.58% while China is 22.95% and India is 5.14%.

[troutman]

Worse than the Koch Brothers?

[Tinordi]

No small feat when Tony Abbott's out there doing a chicken dance.

[CaptainCrunch]

I guess I have problems with the whole thing based on the whole emissions levels efficiency and renewable energy when you have nations like China and other emerging nations that are still building coal fired power plants as fast as they can get them, and are hideous pollutors.

I'm not saying its a shame, but its easier to go after a Canada then a China or India who really don't care very much what you say.

[TurdFerguson]

well he certainly looks the part of a Villain

[burn_this_city]

Any list that puts Canada lower than China, India, and the US is a joke. Ranking Europe high is also goofy, their regulations on vehicle emissions are below North American standards.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Any list that puts Canada lower than China, India, and the US is a joke. Ranking Europe high is also goofy, their regulations on vehicle emissions are below North American standards.

Uhm, reality to burn_this_city:

The EU has proposed VFE regulations bringing new vehicle efficiency to 26 km per litre of gasoline equivalent by 2020 .

The U.S. is going to get to 21 km/lge by 2025.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Uhm, reality to burn_this_city:

The EU has proposed VFE regulations bringing new vehicle efficiency to 26 km per litre of gasoline equivalent by 2020 .

The U.S. is going to get to 21 km/lge by 2025.

Their fuel quality standards and diesel particulate emissions are behind NA. Fuel efficiency isnt the entire picture.

[Tinordi]

I didn't know particulate matter was a greenhouse gas emission - maybe that's because they aren't.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Uhm, reality to burn_this_city:

The EU has proposed VFE regulations bringing new vehicle efficiency to 26 km per litre of gasoline equivalent by 2020 .

The U.S. is going to get to 21 km/lge by 2025.

I don't think he's talking about mileage. He's talking about emissions.

Isn't the Us emissions standards of C02 emmissions of g//km right now a bit tougher then Europe?

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I don't think he's talking about mileage. He's talking about emissions.

Isn't the Us emissions standards of C02 emmissions of g//km right now a bit tougher then Europe?

You mean on heavy duty vehicles? Yes they are but as a whole the EU freight sector is less GHG intensive because of higher use of rail. Anyway, going for criteria air contaminant improvements like PMs and NOx actually served to reduce truck efficiency and boost GHG emissions. Not so with future regulations.

The EU needs new HDV regs. But to say that the standards are worse in transport in the EU is not factually based. Passenger vehicles are over 60% of GHG emissions in transport, and achieving higher standards there means they are leading on standards and regs.

The EU just this week voted for binding target to reduce GHGs by 40% from 1990 levels and that they'll even include the transport sector in the emission trading scheme. It's just not factual to say that the EU is lagging behind Canada on reducing GHGs. Full stop.

[FlamesAddiction]

I am not defending our environmental record, but it is a little unfair to compare us to small countries that don't have the geographic and climate challenges that Canada has. Take a country like Iceland that has a wealth of geothermic heat and a population that is almost exclusively in one town. Or small countries on continental Europe that import energy and don't need to produce it themselves and do not have the transportation issues that we have. Or countries like Mexico that do not have the need to keep developing (and living) through harsh climates.

Don't get me wrong, I know that Harper has dropped the ball big time on a lot of issues and we can improve, but directly comparing countries like this is not a valuable exercise IMO.

It's funny though, because I am in the environmental industry and the other day I was talking to an American about what I do, and she assumed that Canada was well ahead of the US on environmental policy, when in fact I think they are ahead of us more often than not.

[Bootsy]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I am not defending our environmental record, but it is a little unfair to compare us to small countries that don't have the geographic and climate challenges that Canada has. Take a country like Iceland that has a wealth of geothermic heat and a population that is almost exclusively in one town. Or small countries on continental Europe that import energy and don't need to produce it themselves and do not have the transportation issues that we have. Or countries like Mexico that do not have the need to keep developing (and living) through harsh climates.

Don't get me wrong, I know that Harper has dropped the ball big time on a lot of issues and we can improve, but directly comparing countries like this is not a valuable exercise IMO.

It's funny though, because I am in the environmental industry and the other day I was talking to an American about what I do, and she assumed that Canada was well ahead of the US on environmental policy, when in fact I think they are ahead of us more often than not.

Take a quick trip down to North Dakota and witness the amount of flaring/venting that is done down there on their oil facilities , if they were in Alberta their entire operation would be shutdown. I have no idea on environmental policy industry-wide but when it comes to conventional O&G Alberta's environmental policies are much stricter than the US and many country's on that list. I say Alberta not Canada because for our neighbors to the east that wouldn't be true.

[Northendzone]

who cares, canda currently owns gold meadals for both mens and womens hockey - and lets face it, that is all that truly matters

[Maccalus]

I question how they rank Canada's Energy production. Canada's Electricity grid is powered mostly by Hydro (Hydro 63%, Nuclear 15% Coal 13% Nat. Gas 6% 2010 Numbers from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electri...ctor_in_Canada) Which is a "Renewable" energy source. Canada gets no recognition of this and is ranked very poor.

Germany by contrast, which is ranked as Good has the majority of it's power still produced by fossil fuels. Renewables only make up 25% of their power production as of 2012 and they are phasing out nuclear power by 2021. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Germany

We are even ranked behind the US with their large Coal lobby.

I realize there is more to energy production and just electricity production and we have higher requirements for household heating and different economies.

Just throwing this out there as Canada's electricity sector usually gets overlooked in these debates as we have been "cleaner" than most countries since before Kyoto.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

I didn't know particulate matter was a greenhouse gas emission - maybe that's because they aren't.

HAHA - I love that you just don't give a #### about being an ####### to people.

[Frequitude]

Yup, we should be way down the list. But to put us below China and India is a farse. As for the US, whether or not we should be above or below them really comes down to which side of energy supply and demand you want to lay pollution blame.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by Maccalus

I question how they rank Canada's Energy production. Canada's Electricity grid is powered mostly by Hydro (Hydro 63%, Nuclear 15% Coal 13% Nat. Gas 6% 2010 Numbers from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electri...ctor_in_Canada) Which is a "Renewable" energy source. Canada gets no recognition of this and is ranked very poor.

Germany by contrast, which is ranked as Good has the majority of it's power still produced by fossil fuels. Renewables only make up 25% of their power production as of 2012 and they are phasing out nuclear power by 2021. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Germany

We are even ranked behind the US with their large Coal lobby.

Well the "report" was produced by a German company, the first rule of environmental groups(and animal rights activists) is to never s**t where they eat. I could not find any details on their funding, its all very mysterious.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Maccalus

I question how they rank Canada's Energy production. Canada's Electricity grid is powered mostly by Hydro (Hydro 63%, Nuclear 15% Coal 13% Nat. Gas 6% 2010 Numbers from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electri...ctor_in_Canada) Which is a "Renewable" energy source. Canada gets no recognition of this and is ranked very poor.

Germany by contrast, which is ranked as Good has the majority of it's power still produced by fossil fuels. Renewables only make up 25% of their power production as of 2012 and they are phasing out nuclear power by 2021. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Germany

We are even ranked behind the US with their large Coal lobby.

I realize there is more to energy production and just electricity production and we have higher requirements for household heating and different economies.

Just throwing this out there as Canada's electricity sector usually gets overlooked in these debates as we have been "cleaner" than most countries since before Kyoto.

Shh, we are making fun of Harper. Get out.