According to Environment Canada, in 1990 Canada produced 592 million tons of greenhouse gas, by 2008 Canada was producing 734 million tons of greenhouse gas.
Statistics suggest Canada is the third-largest per capita greenhouse gas polluter. This is likely do to our higher than normal hydrocarbon consumption. So why do we produce so much greenhouse gas?
Firstly, Canada is very dependent on the energy industry, which employs an estimated 650,000 people and generates up to a quarter of our export revenue. This fact makes attempting to reduce emissions extremely challenging, not without harsh economic consequences. With many people still suffering from the effects of the last recession, reducing jobs to meet the needs of a United Nations protocol is a hard sell for hard working Canadian families who just want to pay their bills and enjoy their lives.
Secondly, if you look at Canada geographically we have some very significant transportation challenges. There are some serious distances between communities, which means Canadians tend to drive longer and farther. In 2008, 82 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to passenger cars and light trucks. Also, we can’t forget the fact that we live in a cool climate. Canadian winters can be long and cold. The colder it is the more fuel we use and the less efficient our fuel consumption becomes. While Kyoto took Canada’s vastness and remoteness into account, the targets would seem to still have been particularly unrealistic.
The Kyoto Protocol was a good idea, but its expectations were far removed from an industrial dependant and resource based nation. There was also an element of unfairness to the idea as large countries such as China and India were exempt from greenhouse gas emission requirements. Whenever targets are placed out of reach and are not applied to all those involved the result is frustration. It should not be surprising that Canada opted out of the protocol.
Unfortunately we still have a large problem. Climate change looms over us all and will have a lasting negative effect on future generations. How do we balance the need to feed our families and pay our bills with the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Perhaps governments should be taxing the energy sector and using those funds to research affordable alternative energy sources and sustainable living. We desperately need an alternative to combustion engines that burn hydrocarbons.
